Chief Wahoo Strikes Out

Last month, Native Americans across the country cheered what many of them saw as a rare victory. The Cleveland Indians, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, announced that it will drop the team mascot, Chief Wahoo, as its logo and will eliminate the character from its uniforms in 2019. For decades, the caricature of a grinning brave has been denounced by many Native Americans as racist.

The decision was made after negotiations between the Ohio team and MLB officials, who held that “the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use.” 

Ray Halbritter, an Indian activist who leads a campaign against such symbols, hailed the move. “The Cleveland baseball team has rightly recognized that Native Americans do not deserve to be denigrated as cartoon mascots,” he said. 

Yet Halbritter and other activists aren’t satisfied. They have also been calling for the team’s name to be changed. Indians owner Paul Dolan says that won’t happen. 

The issue is the latest in a decades-long debate over the use of Native American-derived names, mascots, and symbols in sports. Today, about 2,440 U.S. sports organizations employ them, according to Terry Borning, an expert on mascots. That includes pro franchises like hockey’s Chicago Blackhawks and football’s Washington Redskins—as well as colleges and elementary, middle, and high schools. 

Many such teams defend their Indian names and mascots as a vital part of their tradition. But critics say that they perpetuate outdated and offensive stereotypes about America’s indigenous people.

Last month, Native Americans across the country cheered what many of them saw as a rare victory. The Cleveland Indians, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, said that it will drop the team mascot in 2019. It will also remove the mascot from its uniforms. The mascot, Chief Wahoo, is a caricature of a grinning Indian warrior. For decades, many Native Americans have called it racist.

The decision was made after negotiations between the Ohio team and MLB officials, who said that “the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use.”

Ray Halbritter praised the move. He is an Indian activist who leads a campaign against such symbols. “The Cleveland baseball team has rightly recognized that Native Americans do not deserve to be denigrated as cartoon mascots,” he said.

Yet Halbritter and other activists are not satisfied. They have also been calling for the team’s name to be changed. Indians owner Paul Dolan says that will not happen.

The issue is the latest in a decades-long debate over the use of Native American-based names, mascots, and symbols in sports. Today, about 2,440 U.S. sports organizations use them, says Terry Borning, an expert on mascots. It includes pro franchises like hockey’s Chicago Blackhawks and football’s Washington Redskins. It also includes colleges and elementary, middle, and high schools.

Many such teams defend their Indian names and mascots. They say such symbols are an important part of their tradition. But critics say those symbols spread outdated and offensive stereotypes about America’s indigenous people.

Supporters of Indian mascots argue that they actually honor Native heritage. “Teams choose names and logos of things that convey power, strength, or pride,” one Cleveland Indians fan wrote online.

Cynthia Connolly doesn’t buy it. The Native American activist says that the mascots reduce her people to stereotypes of a Wild West warrior culture from the 1800s. 

“In 2018, when someone thinks of an Indian, they think of a headdress, a warrior, or chief,” Connolly explains. “We’re never thought of as your neighbors or your co-workers”—not to mention doctors or lawyers. 

Critics also say that the symbols take a psychological toll on Native Americans. Some research supports this. For instance, a study by Stephanie Fryberg, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington, shows that Indian mascots lower the self-esteem of young Native people. 

People who support Indian mascots argue that they actually honor Native heritage. “Teams choose names and logos of things that convey power, strength, or pride,” one Cleveland Indians fan wrote online.

Cynthia Connolly does not accept that argument. The Native American activist says that the mascots reduce her people to stereotypes of a Wild West warrior culture from the 1800s.

“In 2018, when someone thinks of an Indian, they think of a headdress, a warrior, or chief,” Connolly explains. “We’re never thought of as your neighbors or your co-workers,” not to mention doctors or lawyers.

Critics of such symbols also say that the symbols take a psychological toll on Native Americans. Some research supports this. For instance, a study was done by Stephanie Fryberg, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington. The study shows that Indian mascots lower the self-esteem of young Native people.

In recent years, officials and institutions have sought to address the issue. For example, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has prohibited “hostile and abusive” mascots among its colleges and universities. California has banned the use of the word redskins in public school team names. And just last year, Mohawk High School in Marcola, Oregon, altered its team name from the Indians to the Mustangs.

In recent years, officials and institutions have tried to address the issue. For example, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has banned “hostile and abusive” mascots among its colleges and universities. California has banned the use of the word redskins in public school team names. And just last year, Mohawk High School in Marcola, Oregon, changed its team name. It was the Indians. Now it is the Mustangs.

But the movement for change has been met with resistance too. When the University of North Dakota moved to replace the name the Fighting Sioux with the Fighting Hawks, state lawmakers tried to block it. And Atlanta Braves fans continue to perform the “tomahawk chop,” a ritual that many Native people find offensive.

But the movement for change has been met with resistance too. State lawmakers tried to block the University of North Dakota from replacing the name the Fighting Sioux with the Fighting Hawks. And Atlanta Braves fans still perform the “tomahawk chop” ritual, which many Native people find offensive.

In Cleveland, many fans and critics support Chief Wahoo’s retirement. “It was inevitable the logo would change,” wrote a columnist in the city’s newspaper The Plain Dealer.

Still, a movement to “Keep the Chief” has sprung up among some fans, who are certain to continue wearing their old caps and shirts. The club will also continue to sell merchandise featuring the mascot in the Cleveland area. And no one expects the Indians to drop their name anytime soon.

Team owner Paul Dolan realizes that many fans love Chief Wahoo. “But for right now, I just want to stress we’re sensitive to both sides of the issue,” he said. “We wanted to find the best compromise possible, and I think we did.” 

In Cleveland, many fans and critics support Chief Wahoo’s retirement. “It was inevitable the logo would change,” wrote a columnist in the city’s newspaper The Plain Dealer.

Still, a movement to “Keep the Chief” has sprung up among some fans. These fans are certain to continue wearing their old caps and shirts. The club will also continue to sell merchandise featuring the mascot in the Cleveland area. And no one expects the Indians to drop their name anytime soon.

Team owner Paul Dolan realizes that many fans love Chief Wahoo. “But for right now, I just want to stress we’re sensitive to both sides of the issue,” he said. “We wanted to find the best compromise possible, and I think we did.”