Why American sports teams are finally retiring their Native-themed names and mascots
In short: For decades, professional sports teams used Native American imagery as branding, often relying on racist caricatures. While owners long resisted change, a persistent movement led by Native activists and organizations has finally forced a reckoning, leading to the retirement of iconic names and logos across the American sports landscape.
The movement to end the use of Native-themed mascots and names in American sports began in the 1960s. Organizations like the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the American Indian Movement (AIM) spearheaded the effort, arguing that these symbols perpetuate harmful stereotypes and negatively impact Native youth. Despite decades of protests, lawsuits, and lobbying, progress was initially slow due to significant resistance from team owners and fans who claimed these themes were intended to honor Native peoples.
A major shift occurred in the 2010s, as professional leagues faced mounting pressure from corporate sponsors and activists. The Washington NFL team, which had used a name widely considered a racial slur since 1933, finally dropped it in 2020, becoming the Washington Football Team before adopting the name Commanders in 2022. Similarly, the Cleveland MLB team retired its 'Chief Wahoo' logo in 2018 and rebranded as the Cleveland Guardians in 2022. These changes followed earlier successes in academia, where institutions like the University of Oklahoma, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College retired their Native-themed mascots as early as the 1970s.
Despite these high-profile changes, the issue remains unresolved. The NCAI maintains a database that included approximately 1,900 elementary, middle, and high schools with Native-themed mascots as of 2023. While some states have passed legislation to curb this practice—such as New York, which threatened to withhold funding from schools that failed to retire their mascots by 2025—many professional teams continue to utilize Native-themed imagery. The Atlanta Braves, for instance, retain a tomahawk logo and endorse the 'tomahawk chop' fan gesture, highlighting the ongoing tension between sports traditions and the push for cultural sensitivity.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Native American mascot controversy | Debate, Changes, & Teams | Britannica
- Also: Native American name controversy
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