Cleveland Indians bid Chief Wahoo farewell
The Cleveland Indians announced last week that this upcoming 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) season will be the last in which their long time logo of “Chief Wahoo” will have a place on their uniform. Cleveland Indians uniforms have featured different interpretations of Chief Wahoo since 1948, but the team have slowly been phasing out the logo for years.
While the logo will not be visible on any Indians uniform or on the MLB’s online store, Cleveland still retains the right to sell merchandise featuring Chief Wahoo. This is important mainly for copyright purposes. If the Indians were to relinquish ownership or discontinue Chief Wahoo products entirely, they would no longer have rights to the logo, and other entities would be free to sell merchandise featuring Chief Wahoo.
Additionally, this is a halfway point that allows fans of the Indians to continue purchasing merchandise featuring Chief Wahoo, while still abiding by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s ruling that the logo is “no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball.”
It was only a matter of time before the MLB and the Cleveland Indians agreed to completely remove Chief Wahoo from Indians uniforms. For years, the team name and logo of the Indians has been protested outside of the stadium in Cleveland on Opening Day. Thankfully, the groups resisting the logo have finally received their long overdue recognition. The cartoon caricature has run its course, and it is time for the Indians’ fan base to move on. As a die hard Cleveland sports fan, I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt a little to hear the news that Chief Wahoo would no longer be featured on my favorite team’s uniforms after this season. Growing up, Chief Wahoo was a logo I adored. When I was much younger, though, I was rather oblivious to the racist undertones existent in Chief Wahoo. However, once presented with the argument for removing Chief Wahoo as the Indians logo, it seemed like a no-brainer.
Many fans of the Indians, and baseball in general, might suggest that the logo is too deeply rooted for things to be the same without Chief Wahoo on the uniform. Some contend that Native Americans and those advocating for them ares being too sensitive, that there is no ill-will behind the logo.
Simply put, just because the intentions of the organization may not be malicious, that does not change how the logo may be perceived by Native American groups and those of Native American descent. Some fans have even suggested that they would refuse to go to Indians games out of spite for this decision. To those fans I ask: are you not exhibiting even more irrational sensitivity and stubbornness than those on the other side?
This may be just one small step to ignite a ripple effect around American sports. The executive director of the American Indian Movement of Ohio, Phillip Yenyo, took issue with the fact that the logo would still be around for this upcoming season. Additionally, Yenyo says he won’t be satisfied until even more changes are made, including the very name of the baseball team. “The nickname absolutely has to go. It’s not just the logo,” Yenyo stated.
Other American sports franchises such as the Atlanta Braves and Washington Redskins have been under fire recently for their similarly racist team names and logos. Surely, it’s only a matter of time before these organizations take the same actions as Cleveland’s baseball team.
