The Washington Football Team’s decision to change its team name after years of push back from the Native American population has led to a new conversation around the United States.
Will other teams be forced to change their names as a way to show more respect to the Indigenous North American population?
While this doesn’t go as far, the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs are making a statement in a big way.
Chiefs to ban fans from wearing Native American headdresses
As the statement notes, Kansas City has been discouraging fans from wearing headdresses in the past. The statement also indicates that fans can’t wear any face paint that references the Native American culture and history.
Native American team names on the outs within sports world?
The Cleveland Indians announced recently that they have decided to remove the Chief Wahoo mascot from their identity. The Major League Baseball club is also in talks with Native American leaders to potentially change their name.
Although, the biggest story remains Washington deciding to finally give in and change its name after sponsors threatened to end their relationships with the NFL franchise.
Some may point to the narrative of “cancel culture” around the United States right now. To an extent, that’s not necessarily a controversial stance to take.
However, when we’re talking about an Indigenous population that was the victim of genocide at the hands of our ancestors, it’s also not controversial to start changing archaic stances and practices. The Chiefs seem to fully understand this.