The Cleveland Indians announced that they will stop using the Chief Wahoo logo on the team’s uniforms, with a full phase-out complete by 2019. The Ohio baseball team is implementing this change in an attempt to take a step in the right direction towards correcting what has been condemned as an offensive logo.
The Chief Wahoo logo is a cartoon caricature of a Native American with accentuated facial features, red skin and a feather headpiece. The use of the chief imagery is something that many Native American groups have protested in recent years as being disrespectful and offensive. While the team has been using a “C” as an adoptive logo over the last few years, the Chief Wahoo character still remains on the team uniforms on the left sleeve of the jersey and on banners in the stadium. After listening to the sentiments and disapproval of the Native American protest groups, Cleveland Indians’ chairman, Paul Dolan, and MLB Commissioner, Robert Manfred, decided that now is the time for a change. The ultimate decision was one that gave respect to the Native Americans and their grievance, leading Manfred to state that in any capacity, big or small, the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use and will be removed by the next season.
The logo will, however, still be present on any merchandise sold within the stadium and in authorized vendors (but not the MLB official website). The Cleveland Indians will still own the trademark to the logo and be able to profit off of any subsequent sales. While not a full removal of the logo from the team entirely, Native American groups like the Oneida Nation remain hopeful that this will inspire change in the fan base. The Vice President of Communications stated, “It’ll follow that it’s not acceptable to wear in the stadium [by fans]. It will make consumers question whether their kids should be wearing it, whether they should buy it.”
The myth behind the logo is that it was modeled off of the team’s first Native American player, Louis Sockalexis, from 1897. Though at the time it may have been created in honoring him, Sockalexis’ tribe, the Penobscot Indians, do not see it as such. Residents of the tribe have expressed their disapproval of the team’s use of the logo and name, saying, “It’s derogatory and it’s pretty much ignorance. We like to hold a lot of pride in ourselves.” This is a sentiment shared by a majority of Native Americans in regard to Cleveland and other sports teams donning a native symbol, like the Atlanta Braves or Washington Redskins. Those who oppose the removal of the logo argue that it is a form of honoring the Native Americans and players like Sockalexis, but for most, it is unequivocally demeaning to have one’s identity be reduced to a caricature for sport.
The response from the Native American groups has been mixed, with some expressing intense appreciation for the MLB for listening to and making a change from the protests, and others wishing for more action sooner from the team. The American Indian Movement of Ohio has applauded the Cleveland Indians’ decision, but only see it as a step toward the final goal: replacing the team name. The topic of changing the team name from the Indians is one that did not come up in the discussion to remove the logo although it is what many presume to be the next move for the team. As far as what will replace the logo, this is still unknown, though some speculate it may be referential to the team’s earlier name, the Cleveland Spiders. For now, the focus is on removing Chief Wahoo and starting the 2019 season off on a better foot.