Arlington Human Rights Commission Panel Discussion: The Menotomy Hunter and Native American Images

On October 8, 2020 the Arlington Human Rights Commission hosted a community forum in partnership with the Arlington Public Schools and the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum addressing the widespread use of Native American imagery in Arlington and in society as a whole. The national dialogue over Native American sports mascots led to important conversations among Arlington students and other stakeholders about the appropriateness of using Cyrus Dallin's Menotomy Hunter as a logo or mascot for town entities. This forum explored the history of the Hunter statue and associated imagery, and centered Indigenous perspectives on the appropriation of Native American imagery by non-Native groups. Panelists included: Faries Gray, Sagamore of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag Danielle Kost (Kitigan Zibi), Arlington ResidentJ Kimberly Kost Okitsu (Kitigan Zibi), Arlington Resident Heather Leavell, Cyrus Dallin Art Museum Executive Director Dr. Matthew Janger, Arlington High School Principal Louisa Baldwin, Arlington High School Student Moderator: Crystal Haynes, Arlington Human Rights Commission On October 8, 2024, Arlington High School officially unveiled its new mascot, Cyrus and Mastodon.