KESHENA, Wis. — Menominee Indian High School (MIHS) will be changing its name to Menominee Nation High School (MNHS) later this year, according to officials.

What You Need To Know

  • Menominee Indian High School (MIHS) will be changing its name to Menominee Nation High School (MNHS) later this year

  • The namesake will adorn the new high school, which is currently under construction

  • Students led the effort for the name change after research was done about the impact of racial stereotypes on Native communities

  • Officials said currently, the high school will be the only school undergoing the name change, with Menominee Indian Middle School and Keshena Primary School keeping their current names

The namesake will adorn the new high school, which is currently under construction. It’s expected to open later this year.

Students led the effort for the name change after research was done about the impact of racial stereotypes on Native communities.

“A school name change is something our leadership has talked about, but we always believed it would be more effective coming from the students,” said Wendell Waukau, MISD superintendent. “They did the research, asked the right questions and educated both Native and non-Native communities on what this would mean for our school district. We’re proud of them for the thoughtful effort they put into this.”

The name change originated with members of the MIHS Human Rights Club. Members of the club were sharing and working on a mascot exhibit that looked at racial stereotypes for Native individuals. They traveled around the state to present the exhibit and educate others about “the importance of certain words, images and depictions can leave a negative impact on a group of people.”

The students also looked at research examining the psychological effects using the word “Indian” has on Native individuals. All of this led to the name change.

“After we did all this work, we realized it would be a good thing to change the school name,” said Colt Denny, a member of the Human Rights Club, in a press release. “But we wanted to know what community members’ thought. We talked with a wide range of people ranging from elders to students, parents and teachers to get their perspectives.”

As a part of the effort to change the name of the school, club members gathered 180 signatures to petition for the change. They also sent out surveys to gain input on options.

Based on these things, the students then proposed a name change to the MISD School Board and the board voted unanimously to approve it.

“The students took ownership of this initiative,” said Megan Willard, adviser for the Human Rights Club. “They saw an opportunity to make a change and they put in the work that will leave a lasting impact on this community.”

Officials said currently the high school will be the only school undergoing the name change, with Menominee Indian Middle School and Keshena Primary School keeping their current names. Leaders said the name change will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year.

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