WThe Ashington NFL team announced Monday that they will no longer be called the “Redskins,” a name that was described as racist. However, there are a host of other teams that use the language associated with Native Americans. This is where some of the bigger teams stand out with their own names.
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland baseball team has indicated a name change is likely, although they did not explicitly say so when they issued a statement earlier this month on the matter.
“We are committed to having a positive impact on our community and accept our responsibility to promote social justice and equality. Our organization fully recognizes that the name of our team is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community, ”the statement read.
“We are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path to follow regarding our team name.”
Team manager Terry Francona said he believes it is time to “move forward” from the name. If the Indians change their name, it is unlikely to be as fast as Washington’s decision, as they are not under pressure from sponsors.
The team dropped their Chief Wahoo logo, the smiling, red-faced cartoon used since 1947, from their uniforms in 2018 after decades of complaints that it was racist.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta baseball team, which adopted its nickname in 1912 when they were based in Boston, e-mailed season ticket holders on Sunday saying they had no plans to adopt a new name.
The team said they had consulted groups of Native Americans and “through our conversations, changing the name of the Braves is not under consideration or deemed necessary.”
The team said it is looking at “the cut,” a fan-made move that mimics a tomahawk’s swing. The team said the cut is “one of the many problems we are working with the advisory group on.”
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are one of the most high-profile teams in the United States after winning the Super Bowl in February. However, they have yet to issue a statement about the future of his name. The team’s home is called Arrowhead Stadium, their mascot is a horse named Warpaint, and fans perform the tomahawk chop in games and dress in Native American costumes.
The National Congress of American Indians has said that “cartoons and stereotypes are harmful, perpetuate negative stereotypes of the first peoples of the United States, and contribute to contempt for the personality of native peoples.”
The Kansas City newspaper The Star wrote in an editorial this month that “the question is not whether all Native Americans consider these symbols objectionable.” The point is, some Native Americans do. That should be enough for the team and the city to reconsider their fondness for a chant and costume unrelated to the game. “
Chicago Blackhawks
The six-time Stanley Cup champions say they have no intention of changing their name as it honors a historical figure, Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in Illinois history. The team was known as the “Black Hawks” until 1986 when they changed to the “Blackhawks” to match the spelling in the franchise’s founding documents. The original owner of the equipment had been a commander in a unit named for the Black Hawk in the First World War.
“We recognize that there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we congratulate other teams on their willingness to strike up that conversation,” the team said. “In the future, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand Black Hawk awareness and the important contributions of all Native Americans.”
University sports
Dozens of college and high school teams are named after Native American tribes in their local areas. In 2005, the governing body of college sports, the NCAA, examined the use of Native American names. Some teams stopped using names and icons of Native Americans that were considered offensive, but others that received approval from local tribes continued to do so.
Perhaps the most famous example is the Seminoles of the state of Florida. The tribe council approved the use of the name, as well as other traditions related to FSU teams.
“The Tribe sees the relationship as a multi-dimensional collaboration that provides meaningful educational opportunities and other positive results,” a spokesman for the tribe, Gary Bitner, said this month.
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