The controversy over if sports teams should be allowed to use Native Americans as logos has been going on for many years. Some teams have had their logos since the commencement of their organization and others have developed over time. It’s okay for teams to have First Nations people as their mascot or logo if it’s represented in a respectful way. Same goes for logos of other cultures as well. Although through my research, I’ve found that, repeatedly; fans, players and even coaches have been misusing their right to have a logo, in ways that are disrespectful and dishonouring of the First Nation community.
The Cleveland American Indian Movement believes the logo of Chief Wahoo is disrespectful and inaccurate of the First Nations culture and they have filed legal complaints over it multiple times. After just looking at the logo it is very easy to understand the First Nations frustration. It’s a red skinned Native American. For a culture struggling with being stereotyped constantly, this logo does not help whatsoever. Many First Nations have fought to get the logo removed, saying, “ It’s totally wrong. It conjures images of pain and hurt from the past”(Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee). According to Global News Chief Wahoo is referred to as one of the “most offensive image in sports” (Leslie).
Sports Illustrated has also said,, Fred George Reinhart designed Chief Wahoo and it was initially created harmlessly and originally represented the feelings of happiness during a winning streak. So how does a logo with such good intentions get turned into something so blatantly offensive? The fans. Fans have shown up to games with their faces painted bright red and feathered headdresses to support the team but there are so many other ways to show team spirit; cultural appropriation isn’t needed.
After reading about the Cleveland Indians, I figured that every other logo mentioned in our discussions was the same. Thankfully, there are a couple logos way less offensive than Chief Wahoo, including the Chicago Blackhawks. For the most part, the Blackhawks have been respectful. They were named to applaud a military unit called the “Blackhawk Division”. It’s almost an honor to the First Nation culture to be the mascot of such a successful hockey team. Unlike the Cleveland Indians, “The Blackhawks face less controversy, and have argued that their team name is not a generic racial stereotype. It honors a real person, Black Hawk” (Steve Inskeep). But when teams like the Cleveland Indians have mascots like Chief Wahoo, it ruins the image for every team, and now all the sports teams with logos like that are considered offensive. I strongly believe that if we draw the line in the sand and say that no sports team is allowed to use another culture as their mascot, good or bad, it would eliminate a lot of the controversy.
In conclusion, sports have become such a political issue; I wish we could all just go back to enjoying a respectful game where the only controversy is deciding which team to root for. These kinds of logos have been an ongoing problem for many seasons now, and slowly, but surely, changes are being made. One day we may reach a point in our society where we are more accepting and open-minded to the way others feel about how we treat them, but sadly right now we’re not there yet. So in my opinion, sports teams should not be allowed to use First Nations as their logos.
Work cited
Winter, Jesse. “First Nation chiefs say Cleveland baseball team’s name has got to go.” Thestar.com, 14 Oct. 2016, www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2016/10/14/first-nation-chiefs-say-cleveland-baseball-teams-name-has-got-to-go.html.
Inskeep, Steve . “How is the Blackhawk’s name any less offensive than the Redskins? .” The Atlantic , 19 June 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/blackhawks-redskins-name/396356/.
Leslie, Sean. “Time to Change Offensive Team Logos and Names, Says Winnipeg Professor.” Global News, 18 Oct. 2016, globalnews.ca/news/3008631/time-to-change-offensive-team-logos-and-names-says-winnipeg-professor/.