PORTLAND, OR—The Oregon Board of Education stands by its decision to ban the use of Indians as mascots, the group's chair said.

Public schools will no longer be able to use mascots like the "Indians," "Chiefs" and "Braves." The "Warriors" can remain as long as the affected school eliminates associated Indian imagery.

"Mascots are a divisive issue to all members," Brenda Frank, a member of the Klamath Tribes who serves as chair of the board, told The Oregonian. "We're not immune to being on different sides of the line."

The board's decision has divided tribes in the state. The Confederated...