After years of protests from fans and Native American groups, the Cleveland Indians have decided to change the name of their team, staying away from a moniker who has long been criticized as racist, three people familiar with the decision said on Sunday.
The move follows the NFL’s Washington Football team’s decision in July to stop using a name known as racial ambiguity, and is part of a growing national dialogue this year about gender amid opposition to systemic racism and police violence.
Cleveland could announce its plans later this week, according to three people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they do not have the right to speak publicly on the issue.
It was not clear what Cleveland’s specific move would be beyond naming the Indians. The transition to the new name involves many logistical considerations, including working with similar team manufacturers and companies that produce other team equipment and stadium signals.
One said Cleveland plans to have Indians named and uniforms for the 2021 season while working to relocate in early 2022.
Cleveland spent a lot of time before the 2019 season, facing the logo and image of cartoon mascot Chief Wahu.
One option, which the team is considering, is to move forward without a name for revenge – the same way the Washington football team was moving forward – then it will come up with a new name in consultation with the public.
The Cleveland baseball franchise has been known as Indian since 1915, but Native American groups and others have opposed the use of indigenous names, mascots and images for sports teams for decades, insisting they are abusive and racist. Cleveland’s name and Washington Washington’s old name were considered among the most high-profile examples and were the target of widespread campaigns for change.
The Cleveland team did not immediately comment.
Other professional sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Blackhawks, have said in recent months that they have no plans to change their names. Many universities and high schools have long abandoned Native American names and mascots, but efforts to address names at all levels of the sport in the United States have increased in recent months.
For Cleveland, when the process began, he announced that he would retire his longtime mascot, Chief Vahu, a cartoon caricature, which was considered particularly insulting. Many applauded the decision, but insisted the team’s name should also go.
Then in July, when Washington announced it would change its name (under pressure from major sponsors such as FedEx, Pepsi and Nike), Cleveland said it would conduct a “full review” of its nickname. The team has consulted with several Native American groups in Ohio and nationally.
“We are committed to stopping our community and the right stakeholders to determine the best way forward in terms of our team name,” the team said in a statement in July.
Native American groups usually appear on Cleveland’s home openers every spring, sometimes facing verbal abuse by fans as they enter the stadium. In recent years, the team has worked with protesters and police to ensure the safety of protesters and their right to free and peaceful expression.
The club said the name was originally to honor a former player, Luis Sokalexis, who played for the Cleveland Spiders, a major league club, in the 19th century and was a member of the Penobscot Nation. Some have suggested that Cleveland adopts the name Spider in retaliation.
Cleveland’s name was long associated with the main bride logo. Promoting the image includes stadium uniforms and the removal of logos from walls and banners. A block “C” was adopted instead.
“Our organization fully recognizes our team name as one of the most visible ways we connect with the community,” the team’s July statement said.
