Chief Wahoo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chief Wahoo is a trademarked mascot for the Cleveland Indians baseball team. The illustration is a Native American cartoon caricature. The mascot has been accused of reinforcing negative stereotypes about Native Americans, similar to previously discarded mascots like Chief Illiniwek and honorifics like Chief Bender.[2][3][4] The expression "Wahoo," as a loud yell, can be interpreted in various ways.
Its initial incarnation made its first appearance as a shoulder patch on Cleveland uniforms in 1947.[5]
The face was redrawn a few years later, and the new style replaced the old style on the uniform shirt sleeve starting in 1951.[5]
Protests against the use of the Chief Wahoo character greeted the opening of Jacobs Field in 1994. While the Cleveland police arrested the protesters for aggravated arson, such charges were eventually dropped. The protesters, led by Vernon Bellecourt, sued the city for violating their free speech rights. The protesters' lawsuit was dismissed by the Ohio State Supreme Court in 2004.[6][7]
The mascot continues to draw protests from some members of Native American tribes and the NAACP and is opposed by the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights.[8]
According to polling results published in Sports Illustrated, "Although most Native American activists and tribal leaders consider Indian team names and mascots offensive, neither Native Americans in general nor a cross section of U.S. sports fans agree."[9]. According to the article, "There is a near total disconnect between Indian activists and the Native American population on this issue."[9]
Despite controversy, Chief Wahoo remains a prominent trademark for the Cleveland Indians, appearing on game-use uniform, caps and merchandise. During the 2007 post-season, both TBS and Fox Sports used it as the logo on the stats line for Cleveland ballplayers, while the Christian Science Monitor ran an editorial deploring its continued use.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Cleveland Indians: The Cleveland Press Years 1920-1982 by David Borsvold, Arcadia Publishing (2003) ISBN 0-7385-2325-9 at pp 63-67
- ^ H. Mathew Barkhausen III (2005-02-01). "Red Face" Does Not Honor Us. Snag Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ The Chief's demise no proud moment for board. Pantagraph (2007-02-01). Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ David Briggs (2007-10-06). Win or lose, the Cleveland Indians should get rid of Chief Wahoo. The Cleveland Plains Dealer. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b Okkonen, Mark (1993-12). Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century. Sterling Publishing Company, 37, 190. ISBN 0806984910.
- ^ Cleveland Indians Protest Trial. Court TV (2001-08-02). Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
- ^ Bellecourt v. Cleveland, 104 Ohio St, 3d. 439 (Ohio State Supreme Court 2004).
- ^ Statement of the United States Commission on Civil Rights on the use of Native American images and nicknames as sports symbols. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
- ^ a b S.L. Price & Andrea Woo, "The Indian Wars", Sports Illustrated, March 4, 2002, pp 66-71
- ^ Jonathan Zimmerman (2007-10-15). The Cleveland Indians' mascot must go. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
