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Adidas announced an initiative Thursday to help high schools nationwide drop Native American mascots.

The athletic shoe and apparel maker said it will offer free design resources to schools looking to shelve Native American mascots, nicknames, imagery or symbolism. The company also pledged to provide financial support to ensure the cost is not prohibitive.

Adidas announced the initiative in conjunction with the White House Tribal Nations Conference on Thursday in Washington. Adidas executives were among those attending the conference, which includes leaders from the 567 federally recognized tribes.

The company, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, Ore., also said it will be a founding member of a coalition that addresses Native American mascots in sports.

According to the group Change the Mascot, there are about 2,000 schools nationwide that have Native American mascots. The program would give schools access to the company's design team for logo redesign and uniform design across all sports.

The use of such mascots has drawn increased attention in recent years. The NFL's Washington franchise has resisted appeals by Native American and civil rights groups to change their name and mascot.

In 2005, the NCAA warned schools that they would face sanctions if they didn't change logos or nicknames. Some colleges kept their nicknames by obtaining permission from tribes, including Florida State and the Utah Utes. —

Utah schools with Native American nicknames

• Bountiful

• Cedar

• Liahona

• North Summit

• Snow Canyon

• Uintah