At least 12 high school teams in Montana on and off reservations have names that directly refer to Native Americans, such as the warriors or the Indians, although corresponding mascots vary (see list).

In Arlee, the boys play as the Warriors, and the girls play as the Scarlets, and parents and others occasionally raise concerns about the names, said Willie Wright, American Indian studies coordinator for the Arlee Joint School District.

Wright, who also teaches Native American studies and Salish, has concerns about both names.

Warriors were Native Americans who traditionally touched their enemies in battle without actually killing them, and they earned their feathers with the tribe, she said.

"So it was a very difficult triumph that took place to earn that status to become a warrior," said Wright, an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

She isn't convinced a high school student playing sports is the equivalent: "Is running up and down the court making baskets a feat worthy of being a warrior? That's questionable in my mind when we look at who were the warriors of yesterday."