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Win or lose, two baseball teams got more high level national attention during the World Series than either has had in a long time. The Cleveland Indians hadn’t been in a World Series in 19 years. Their appearance in baseball’s biggest event brought new attention to another aspect of their organization: a name and logo that many people find offensive. Will the momentum of these monumental games dampen or help efforts to change the name? Where do stand on Chief Wahoo?
Guests:
Robert Roche (Chiricahua Apache) – executive director of the American Indian Education Center and the president of People Not Mascots
Jacqueline Keeler (Dakota and Navajo) – writer and co-founder of Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry and editor of Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears
Break music: Cree Sunrise (song) Art Napoleon (Travelling Sun) (album) Miyoskamin (Early Springtime) (album)
I am from Cleveland, Ohio originally, and moved to Albuquerque a few years ago. I’m a big fan of the Cleveland Baseball team. I do plan on watching the game tonight, however I am ashamed that the team I grew up with still chooses to use the Chief Wahoo logo.
Living in New Mexico, I’m embarrassed to wear any Cleveland Indians merchandise using that name or logo and refuse to buy anything with that logo. Seeing fans in redface at the baseball games simply reinforces my embarassment of the organization. The team should have gotten rid of the logo a long time ago.
Many people in Cleveland cling to that logo, saying it’s just “PC” culture, and don’t see any issue with keeping it. I simply don’t understand that line of thinking.
If Cleveland insists on the team name “Indians” (and for now plans on keeping, but “de-emphasizing” the Chief Wahoo mascot logo) they should reach out to the Native community in the greater Cleveland area. There is no place no plaque no photos no gallery no text anywhere within the organization that “honors” any Indian or Native connection. If the Native community would agree to participate… and they should because you will always find some sell-outs who will agree for tickets or attention…then work w the organization to put on Community Day(s) where Native peoples could participate w drum groups & jingle dress & fancy dancers, as an example, They could install a history of all Natives in Sports, and publish the actual research and not gloss over the racist beginnings. And part of engaging the Native community (NOT sell-out wannabees!) would be round tables or town halls or symposiums where Natives could speak out. See how the Cleveland fans would react to meeting real Natives with authentic concerns. Humanize the debate and discussion. Some Chief Wahoo fans who claim to be “part-Indian” were also supportive of the “NoDAPL pipeline protests, so that is an area of dialogue. Ditch the Chief Wahoo logo, and it becomes a collector’s item, like the Washington Redskins will be. I dont mind those logos coming out once every couple years on throwback days, it would just show how “historically bad” they actually are.