Indian Country

Natick, Massachusetts (AP) 2-08

The town of Natick will get its say on whether the Redmen nickname should stay.

The town’s board of selectmen voted to put a nonbinding question on the March ballot on whether to reverse a decision to drop the Natick High School nickname from sports teams.

Last year, the school committee voted to dump the name. Some argue it’s racist and outdated.

But there’s been little enthusiasm for the new nickname, the Hawks.

Meanwhile, a group of residents who argue the Redmen nickname is about pride and tradition collected 1,800 signatures on a petition demanding a town-wide vote on keeping it.

Selectman Josh Ostroff told The Boston Globe he believes the nickname should be dropped. But he approved the vote because he said the people should be heard.