After years of protests from fans and Native American groups, the Cleveland Indians have decided to change their team name, moving away from a moniker that has long been criticized as racist, three people familiar with the decision said Sunday.
The move follows a decision by the Washington Football Team of the N.F.L. in July to stop using a name long considered a racial slur, and is part of a larger national conversation about race that magnified this year amid protests of systemic racism and police violence
Cleveland could announce its plans as soon as this week, according to the three people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
One option that the team is considering, two of the people said, is moving forward without a replacement name — similar to how the Washington Football Team proceeded — then coming up with a new name in consultation with the public.
The Cleveland baseball franchise has been known as the Indians since 1915, but Native American groups and others have for decades opposed the use of Indigenous names, mascots and imagery for sports teams, insisting they are demeaning and racist. Cleveland’s name and Washington’s old name were considered among the most high-profile examples and were the targets of widespread campaigns for change.
Why were the Native Americans and other who were protesting, met with a resistance to keep these names and mascots? Rather than be met with an intention to understand where they are coming from there was no respect given from the opposing side. When there are protests like this and a time of reckoning whether it is a word, imagery, ideas, there is people who don’t want to see the change because of tradition and legacy, but they are failing to investigate and willing to learn why those things are no longer acceptable.
For Cleveland, the process began when it announced it would retire its longtime mascot, Chief Wahoo, a cartoonish caricature that was seen as particularly offensive. Many applauded the decision, but insisted the team name must go, too.
Native American groups usually appear at Cleveland’s home opener each spring, sometimes in the face of withering verbal abuse from fans as they enter the stadium. In recent years, the team has worked with the protesters and police to help ensure the safety of demonstrators and their right to free and peaceful expression.
Cleveland’s name was long accompanied by the Chief Wahoo logo. Phasing the image out included removing the logo from uniforms and from walls and banners in the stadium. A block “C” was adopted in its place.
“Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community,” the team’s July statement said.
Although I’m not a fan of baseball this was an eye-opener at first because the Cleveland Guardians (previously known as the Cleveland Indians) had this innate presence in my life being I’m an Ohioan. I learned more about the impact of the insensitivity Cleveland had on the Native American community. The Guardians weren’t the only sport team facing taking some heat for this but many other teams across the United States were as well. The caricatures that represented their mascots we’re offensive and careless.
Source: Waldstein, D., & Schmidt, M. (2020, December 13). Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-baseball-name-change.html
Butler, R. (n.d.). Native American Mascots: They’re Just Wrong. The Gator’s Eye. https://thegatorseye.com/14496/opinion/native-american-mascots-theyre-just-wrong/
