Human Rights Committee and residents urge broader, slower process for revising Mamaroneck town logo

Speakers from the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Human Rights Committee and local historians urged the Town Board on July 15 to broaden and extend a town logo review, increase outreach to indigenous communities and provide more context in the town survey before committing to a redesign.

Nancy Pearson, acting chair of the committee, described outreach to the Lenape Center and to the Siwanoy Nation and relayed the nation’s concern that representations of their people should not be used without the nation’s participation or consent. She asked the board to consider whether the seal’s imagery perpetuates offensive stereotypes and to involve indigenous stakeholders directly.

Veleska Mancilla, also speaking for the Human Rights Committee, said the town’s one-month survey window and timing during summer limited meaningful participation and urged a longer process that includes historical context, consultation with local indigenous communities and clarity on the consultant’s process and cost estimates, including an estimated $250,000 implementation figure cited in the survey materials.

Other speakers who said they work in history or related fields cited New York State Department of Education guidance on Native American mascots and local examples of towns (Ossining, Mashpee, New Rochelle) that rebranded after community processes. Amy Nathan and others suggested the town could phase costs across fiscal years, seek grants, and involve schools and local historians in educational outreach.

A town council member who said she has served five years (speaker 11) expressed support for moving away from the current logo, calling intent to honor heritage “noble” but saying the result can still cause harm if communities represented are not engaged. The supervisor thanked all speakers and encouraged residents to complete the online survey; no formal vote on changing the logo took place during the meeting.

Speakers requested concrete next steps: extend the survey into the fall (several suggested Nov. 1), hold town workshops and invite Lenape/Siw anoy representatives for direct input, and provide clearer information about funding options and consultant methods so that community members can make informed comments.