Kansas City Chiefs name controversy

The Kansas City Chiefs was the last professional team in the United States to adopt a name or logo suggesting a reference to Native Americans. However, despite the use of Native American features, their name was actually a reference to a white person emulating Native American culture.

Main article: Native American mascot controversy

When the Dallas Texans (AFL) relocated in 1963 they became the Chiefs in honor of Kansas City mayor Harold Roe Bartle who was instrumental in bringing the Texans to Kansas City, Missouri. Bartle earned his nickname as founder of a Boy Scouts honor camping society, Tribe of Mic-O-Say, in which he was "Chief" Lone Bear.[1]

Just as with the Washington Redskins or the Cleveland Indians, Native Americans have protested the Chiefs' mascot choice for years.[2] After the Redskins and Indians stated in July, 2020 that they are in the process of reviewing their names, the Chiefs have not responded to a request for comment regarding any plans to do the same.[3] The editorial board of the Kansas City Star states that "It’s time for a real examination of all of it: the tomahawk chop, the drum, Arrowhead Stadium, Warpaint and the costumes worn by fans at the game."[4]

Mascots and traditions

In 1989 the Chiefs switched from Warpaint, a Pinto horse ridden by a man in a feathered headdress, to their current mascot K. C. Wolf. Warpaint returned in 2009, but is ridden by a cheerleader.[5]

Despite Native American statements that they find the practices insulting, the Chiefs continue many of the behaviors of other teams with Native American names, including fans wearing headdresses and warpaint, doing the tomahawk chop, and banging a drum.[1]

Emergence of controversy

Following the appearance in the Kansas City Star of photographs of fans attending an October 2013 game wearing feathers and warpaint and doing the tomahawk chop, numerous Native Americans submitted complaints to the publication. One caller, who was especially upset that the photographs were published on Columbus Day, described the images as a "mockery" and "racist". Writing for the Star's "Public Editor" column, Derek Donovan explained that he found the complaints "reasonable" and suggested that the newspaper depict "other colorful, interesting people in the crowds."[6]

The Star reported in early August 2014 that the team's management is planning discussions with some Native American groups to find a non-confrontational way to eliminate, or at least reduce, offensive behavior.[7] Amanda Blackhorse, the lead plaintiff in the trademark case against the Washington Redskins, thinks the real solution is a name change for the Chiefs.[8] Native Americans in Phoenix, Arizona picketed at the game between the Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals, and have asked the Cardinals' management to bar "Redface", the wearing of headdresses and face paint, protesting what they perceive to be a mockery of Native American culture.[9] A protest took place in Minnesota when the Chiefs played the Vikings on October 18, 2015. "The Kansas City Chiefs have flown under the radar," said Norma Renville, the executive director of Women of Nations Community Advocacy Program and Shelter. "They are contributing to our cultural genocide."[10]

Achieving greater visibility by reaching the playoffs in 2016, Native Americans at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas are asking the Chiefs to stop behavior that invokes stereotypes, such as wearing headdresses and doing the "tomahawk chop".[11] While there has been efforts to address other issues, such as fans wearing warpaint and headdresses, the "chop" and the accompanying chant is defended by some local Native Americans. However, in a national survey, half of Native Americans said the "tomahawk chop" bothered or offended them, rising to 65% among those more engaged in Native traditions.[12] In a statistical analysis of social media comments (tweets) leading up to Super Bowl LIV, researchers found many more negative terms associated with the Kansas City team compared to San Francisco. While both teams were referred to in terms related to violence, the Chiefs were much more likely to receive insults related to intelligence (being called stupid) and many insults were specific references to negative Native American stereotypes, such as drunkenness ("firewater"), and being inbred or extinct. The conclusion drawn was support for Natives being insulted, rather than honored, by Native American mascots.[13]

In an instance of discrimination, when Amanda Blackhorse, Diné (Navajo), attended a protest at a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins at Arrowhead Stadium while she was a student at the University of Kansas, she said "people yelled, “Go back to your reservation!” “We won, you lost, get over it!” “Go get drunk!” And so many different slurs. People threw beers. That, to me, was shocking. I’ve experienced racism in my lifetime, but to see it outwardly, in the open, and nobody did anything? It was shocking."[14]

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gollark: 1 *is* 3, in fact.
gollark: Oh hey, that's actually Macron code.
gollark: And yet Macron abounds.
gollark: macron.

References
  1. Leah Asmelash (February 1, 2020). "How the Kansas City Chiefs got their name, and why it's so controversial". CNN.
  2. "Native American groups to protest Kansas City Chiefs nickname at Vikings game". Grand Forks Herald. October 16, 2015. Retrieved Jul 26, 2020.
  3. "Redskins, Indians Considering New Names. Is It Time for the Chiefs to Make a Change?". Kansas City Star. July 7, 2020.
  4. The Kansas City Star Editorial Board (July 7, 2020). "Redskins, Indians considering new names. Is it time for the Chiefs to make a change?". Kansas City Star.
  5. "Warpaint". Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City Chiefs. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  6. DONOVAN, DEREK (October 27, 2013). "Chiefs fans' 'Indian' dress is problematic". The Kansas City Star.
  7. MELLINGER, SAM (August 6, 2014). "To avoid a cultural free-for-all, Chiefs form alliance with American Indian groups". The Kansas City Star.
  8. MELLINGER, SAM (June 25, 2014). "Woman behind fight against Washington's NFL nickname says Chiefs should be on guard". The Kansas City Star.
  9. Hendley, Matthew (December 10, 2014). "Native Americans Calling on Arizona Cardinals to Make Policy Against Headdresses, Redface". Phoenix New Times.
  10. Lytton, Barry (October 16, 2015). "Native American groups to protest Kansas City Chiefs nickname at Vikings game". The Grand Forks Herald.
  11. Rothfield, Ariel (January 15, 2016). "Kansas indigenous group asking Kansas City Chiefs fans to stop the Tomahawk chop". KSHB Kansas City. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  12. John Eligon (January 29, 2020). "Celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chop Divides". The New York Times.
  13. "not your mascot: opinions vs data". Indigenous Engineering. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  14. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/amanda-blackhorse-washington-football-team-trademark-lawsuit/
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