New York high school changes Redskins mascot, Oneida Indians donate $10K

The Oneida Indians will present a check for $10,000 to an upstate New York school district on Wednesday night after the Board of Education voted in April to do away with its Redskins mascot at the request of its students.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter will present the check to the Cooperstown Central School District for new jerseys bearing the school's new mascot, the Hawkeyes, a character created by author and former Cooperstown resident James Fenimore Cooper who penned the novel, The Last of the Mohicans.

The news comes at a time when the Washington Redskins have seen increased pressure to change its mascot, too. Washington mayor Vincent Gray said in January that he hopes the team moves forward with the change. Officials from the football team were invited to a symposium at the Smithsonian in February about racial stereotypes but did not attend.

A recent AP poll found that nearly four out of five Americans believe the Redskins should not change their name. Earlier in May, Redskins owner Dan Snyder said the team will "never" change its name so long as he owns it, according to USATodaySports.com:

"We will never change the name of the team. As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season."