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TAHLEQUAH, OK - After meeting with Principal Chief Chad Smith, the Sequoyah High School board has agreed to select consistent imagery for the all-Indian school. Smith had earlier called for a committee to be formed to make recommendations on the issue, but in school board members have volunteered to fill that role.

The Sequoyah board members will take comments from parents, teachers, alumni and students and decide on the images that best represent Sequoyah High School as an all-Indian school.

"The school board and the Chief and his office are working together for the kids", said Dewayne Marshall, a Sequoyah board member and SHS alum. "There’s no winners and no losers."

Some controversy had arisen over the issue of nicknames and images at Sequoyah, and Marshall said that the issue needed to be addressed by the board.

"The public wanted an answer, and we’re glad we’ve come to this agreement", Marshall said. “There's a lot of room for agreement, not only in this matter, but every matter along the line." Marshall agreed that Smith has never called for the school to drop the use of the nickname Indians, though rumors circulated that he would.

"He never said he would do that, but some people thought he was wanting to. It's just a matter of communication", Marshall said. "We're all in it for one reason, to make things better for the kids."

"Me being an ex-student, my wife and kids being ex-students, there's a lot of pride in Sequoyah that school", Marshall said. "I'm sure the Chief does too, because his father went to school there."

"I've always said that Sequoyah’s identity as an Indian school is what makes it so special", Smith said. "I'm sure the school board, with input from parents, alumni, faculty and parents will settle on images that represent Sequoyah’s unique identity as an all-Indian school."

"We're proud to work with the Chief", Marshall said. "It's best for the kids, the chief and all of us."