Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper, issued an executive order to create a commission to study American Indian Representations in public schools on Oct. 5. Hickenlooper’s order entails the creation of a committee of 15 people that will work with public schools in Colorado to ensure the correct representation of American Indian mascots. The main goal is to make sure schools avoid offensive ethnic caricatures and mascots without ending community traditions and without penalties or expenses to schools who do not comply. For instance, some schools have already worked with American Indian tribes to assure that their mascot was accurately depicted and inoffensive. Overall, the committee hopes to have discussions about the culture and history of American Indians in Colorado and to promote awareness of this in schools. In 2010 and 2015, two legislative bills regarding the use of American Indian mascots in schools were presented to the General Assembly and both failed to pass. Both included penalties and expenses if schools did not change their mascot. Hickenlooper’s new approach enforces that school traditions can continue and will require a committee with a chair, a co-chair, four representatives from statewide education organizations, one representative of the Southern Ute Tribe, one representative of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, one representative from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, one representative from the Denver American Indian Commission, one representative from the Native American Rights Fund, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Education or his or her designee, and three members of the public. Hickenlooper’s executive order is in place until April 4, 2016.