The Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Braves are all professional sports teams in America that use Native American culture to represent them through the means of tribe names, logos, and mascots. These teams have received a lot of media attention around the debate as to whether the representation of Native Americans is offensive or not. Controversy surrounding Native American mascots first came into the public eye during the 1960s Native American Civil Rights movement, where the use of these mascots was criticized for being insulting. However, the people who conceived these teams, knowingly or not, created an atmosphere of prejudice and discrimination growing the brands into multi-million …show more content…
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, who refuses to consider a name change, points out that the team’s first roster in 1933 included four Native American players and states that, “[their] team name captures the best of who [they] are and who [they] can be, by staying true to [their] history and honoring the deep and enduring values [their] name represents.” (ESPN) Native Americans are viewed as strong and courageous with many other positive qualities. Teams choose Native Americans as mascots and role models because they are admired historically. The Cleveland Indians owner commented about their logo saying, “Logos are primarily a local matter. The local club makes decisions about its logos. Fans get attached to logos. They become part of a team’s history.” (Waldron) These professional teams have created an identity for themselves within each of their hometowns or even states. Many fans, and teams themselves, hold these characteristics displayed by teams as traditions and celebrate them to the fullest. However, what they are celebrating is not always correct and can bring a great deal of negativity toward Native …show more content…
These professional teams take Native Americans and their culture and remake them into mass consumable stereotypes. Consequently, this Native theme encourages fans to dress in fake headdress and war paint. It is a tacky, offensive portrayal of a people that is equivalent to blackface. The best example is the Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo. Wahoo is a red-faced Indian with a feather sticking out of his head and a big cheesy smile. Again, not only is this depiction found to be stereotypical but also it enables people to dress up as Wahoo or an “Indian” which is offensive. These types of arguments however, are often dismissed because of the amount of money generated from merchandise. Capitalism is the driving force behind teams. They exploit Natives by selling misrepresentations of their cultural aspects for profit. These billion dollar franchises create a situation where once diverse cultural identities are stripped away, the only culture left to identify with is capitalist culture. This is a form of cultural misappropriation in the sports world. Natives in turn lose in which their cultural markers and are then consumed and assimilated into the dominant culture where they often feel exploited and