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Over the last forty years American Indians have challenged the usage of their symbols and culture as mascots or emblems used by schools, universities, pro sports teams and businesses across the United States. One word often used is "redskins," a word that many American Indians regard as demeaning. By contrast many schools, and particularly members of booster cultures, that use the word "redskins" feel that the use of these symbols is a way of honoring American Indians and contend that they should be allowed to continue that usage due to the tradition and heritage of the institution to which they belong. This thesis examines one such conflict between the local chapter of Florida AIM and the school board of Leon County, Florida over the use of "redskins" by Rickards High School. The thesis presents the events of this conflict as they transpired, paying particular attention to their interrelation with various court challenges involving the use of "redskins" at the national level; it interprets these events in the context of what is known about conflict behavior and conflict resolution; and finally assesses how the participants are coping with the results of that resolution.
