Massapequa is among several Long Island districts that could lose state funding if they keep Native American mascots.

For Native American students, exposure to Native American mascots reduces self-esteem, their ability to imagine future accomplishments, and belief that Native American communities can make a difference, according to Laurel Davis-Delano, a professor of sociology at Springfield College who has studied the effect of such imagery on students .

President Donald Trump is weighing in on a school mascot dispute at Massapequa High School, where some parents are upset that a Chiefs mascot and logo must go under a state rule.