NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 15, 1999

Contact: Monroe Gilmour, Coordinator 828-669-6677

Erwin Mascot Issue to be presented at Indian Education Conference

-Local Indian leader to speak at largest national Indian education conference

The Clyde A. Erwin High School mascot issue goes to Oklahoma this weekend. Bruce Two Eagles of the Buncombe County Intertribal Association leaves Saturday for a national conference of Indian educators in Oklahoma City, October 16 through 20.

University of Kansas professor Dr. Cornel Pewewardy, one of the country's most renowned American Indian educators, asked Two Eagles to co-present with him at a workshop entitled, "Indian Mascots in the Millennium."

According to Two Eagles, "The Erwin mascot issue has brought national attention to the failure of the Buncombe County School Board to implement fully its own non-discrimination policy. The Board had to be forced by the US Justice Department to eliminate the 'squaw' mascot for female athletes and now Indian educators across the country are interested to see how that was accomplished and how we can legally proceed to remove the remaining derogatory mascot at Erwin and other schools in this nation."

The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) expects over 3000 participants at the conference.

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For more information: Bruce Two Eagles 828-683-1889

Dr. Cornel Pewewardy 785-864-4435