Outrage after Texas high school chants ‘Scalp ‘Em, Indians’ during Disney cheerleading performance

Disney says that it ‘regrets’ performance took place at Florida theme park

The high-school squad chanted ‘scalp ’em Indians’ during a performance at the resort (Getty)

Disney World has condemned the performance of a Texas high school’s “Indianettes” cheerleading group in which the students chanted “scalp ‘em Indians, scalp ‘em” during a performance at the resort.

The company apologised after a video surfaced of the Port Neches-Groves High School drill team’s routine that included stereotypes of Native Americans.

“The live performance in our park did not reflect our core values, and we regret it took place. It was not consistent with the audition tape the school provided and we have immediately put measures in place so this is not repeated,” Disney spokesperson Jacquee Wahler said in a statement to The Independent.

Native Americans condemned Disney on social media for allowing the school to perform at all. “It was pretty shocking to see the ‘scalp ‘em’ reference,” said Minnesota tribal attorney Tara Houska, who is part of the Not Your Mascots organisation fighting against stereotypical native representation in sports.

And she added: “Disney knew that this team is calling itself the Indianettes. They refer to their football stadium as ‘The Reservation’; they have The Pow Wow news; the yearbook is called The War Whoop. These guys have doubled down through the years on behaviour that has been largely condemned as racist because it is.”

Port Neches-Groves Assistant Superintendent Julie Gauthier told 12NewsNow the school has performed at Disney several times without any issue.

She said that at the last minute on Tuesday, Disney representatives asked the drill team to remove the headdresses they normally wear during performances.

According to Ms Gauthier, the school started the application to perform at Disney in May 2021, and the application was approved in June 2021. “We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our school district,” a district statement said.

But according to the news channel, the Indianettes were not in the high school’s audition video to perform at Disney World.

The school has used the Indian mascot since the 1920s and the Indianettes cheerleading team have been a feature of the school for more than 50 years. The district’s Superintendent Mike Gonzales has previously said it is up to the local community to decide whether change the mascot.

The school received a certificate from the Cherokee Nation in 1979 as an “ambassador of goodwill”. But in July 2020, the head of the US’s largest tribal government sent the school district a letter revoking those permissions. In the wake of the latest controversy, the school district has deleted all of its social media accounts.

The Independent has reached out to the school district for comment.