After three decades, a large sign proclaiming Owego Free Academy as the "Home of the Indians" is gone from the high school's main entrance.

As students started their first day of classes on Thursday, the spot where the sign stood at the corner of George Street and Sheldon Guile Boulevard was bare - covered in dirt.

The sign was removed two weeks ago as part of the requirement that school districts in New York state remove indigenous names, logos and imagery by the end of the new academic year.

The "Home of the Indians" sign had been located at the Owego Free Academy main entrance. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
The "Home of the Indians" sign had been located at the Owego Free Academy main entrance. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
loading...

The large granite sign was donated by the Owego Free Academy Class of 1986. The school district is working with members of that class to find a new location for the sign.

Last September, the school district announced that the "Indians" nickname was being replaced by "River Hawks."

A "Home of the River Hawks" banner on display at Owego Free Academy on September 1, 2024. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
A "Home of the River Hawks" banner on display at Owego Free Academy on September 1, 2024. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
loading...

The new nickname was chosen after a lengthy process involving Owego-Apalachin School District students and residents.

Some expressed opposition to the change, insisting "Once an Indian, always an Indian." But the school district moved forward to comply with a state education department order that Native American mascots be phased out.

FLASHBACK: An Indian mascot appeared on the front of Owego Free Academy on August 13, 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
FLASHBACK: An Indian mascot appeared on the front of Owego Free Academy on August 13, 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
loading...

Randy Squier, who was president of the Class of 1986, now is superintendent of the Coxsackie-Athens School District near Albany. In an online post, he wrote "it was an honor for our class to donate the granite edifice with our respected Indian logo adorning the sign."

Squier, who has been school superintendent for 14 years, noted the Coxsackie-Athens district retired its Indian mascot prior to the state mandate. He said some residents and alumni had expressed anger about the change but ultimately were able to embrace the move.

For now, the Owego Free Academy "Home of the Indians" sign is being stored on campus until it can be moved to a new site.

A directional sign on Sheldon Guile Boulevard in Owego on September 1, 2024. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
A directional sign on Sheldon Guile Boulevard in Owego on September 1, 2024. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
loading...
KISS 104.1 logo
Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

LOOK: Controversial songs from the year you were born

Stacker celebrates history's most boundary-pushing—and thereby controversial—songs from 1930 through today.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: Popular Dinners Americans Don’t Make as Often Anymore

From classic casseroles to heaping helpings of beige-on-beige, these beloved American dinner dishes have fallen out of the mealtime rotation.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

LOOK: 13 North American amusement parks growing the most in popularity

Stacker used Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM data to list the 13 North American theme parks with the most visitor growth from 2021 to 2022.

Gallery Credit: Stacker