Utes Nickname Project

The Utes Nickname Project is a digital archive of Indigenous symbols used by the University of
Utah.

It is an effort to promote awareness, education, and research about the history of Indigenous American symbols, particularly the ongoing use of the “Utes” nickname. The archival collection includes documents from the founding of the University in 1850 to the present day.

The collection gathers previously dispersed materials from a range University collections—presidential papers, the campus newspaper, student association materials, and yearbooks—that relate to the evolution and use of Indigenous symbols (mascots, imagery, logos, etc.) at the University of Utah. It also features past and current agreements between the University and the Ute Indian Tribe; faculty, student, and staff reactions to the use of Indigenous symbols; and the connection between university athletics and “Utes” imagery.

The Utes Nickname Project is designed for educators, academics, and the public.

Funded by:
The University of Utah

For more information:
Danielle Endres
Professor, Communication
University of Utah
danielle.endres@utah.edu

On the web:
https://institute.communication.utah.edu/
projects/utesnicknameproject.php