![]() ![]() Traditions die hard.”īob Ryan, an 82-year-old retiree from Lenexa, Kansas, said the tomahawk chop and the chants “give a lot of oomph to the fans so they can participate in the game.” “That’s where it’s hard, when the world changes and things that you’ve always done - all of a sudden - feel like they may not be an honorable thing. “It is so hard because it is such a tradition that I don’t think was begun in negative connotation,” said Cori Power, 53, a court reporter from Grantville, Kansas. Most defended the chants and tomahawk chops, but understood the backlash. “It’s something that brings the fans together,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said Monday during Media Night at the Super Bowl, “but I can definitely see how there would be a misunderstanding.”Īt Kansas City’s Union Station, throngs of fans have been lining up to snap photos near a massive Chiefs logo. A horse named “Warpaint” circles the field after scores as fans chant and mimic the tomahawk chop. Some fans wear headdresses or face paint. Games at Arrowhead Stadium also continue to take on the vibe of a less politically correct time. Young participants are “braves,” and the top leader is the “chief.” Though he was white, Bartle started a Scouting society called the “Mic-O-Say Tribe,” which remains active and continues to use Native American attire and language. Team owner Lamar Hunt reportedly named the team the Chiefs in honor of Bartle.Įven the connection with Bartle has undertones that some find offensive. Roe Bartle was a large man known as “The Chief” for his many years of leadership in the Boy Scouts. The origin of the Chiefs nickname may have more to do with the mayor who helped lure the franchise from Dallas in 1963 than any connection to Native Americans. The Chiefs, in a statement, stressed the team’s commitment to “use our platform to create an awareness and understanding of Native cultures, as well as celebrate the rich traditions of multiple tribes with historic connection to our region.” The ads show fans doing the tomahawk chop. Grocery store chain Price Chopper proclaimed “Can’t Stop the Chop” in its latest advertising campaign tie-in with the Chiefs. For example, he calls the Redskins’nickname “a dictionary-defined racial slur.” Schilling believes Kansas City has gotten a pass because the traditions are, by comparison, less offensive. There’s not really another race in the United States that has to defend whether or not they can be used as a mascot.” In an interview, Williams said the chanting and chopping “dehumanizes who we are and what we stand for. “What good comes from a bunch of Non-Natives pretending to be Native?” Kaysa Williams, 28, a Native American Democratic campaign worker in Oklahoma, wrote on Facebook. So why have Kansas City fans largely been given a pass? Many on social media wonder. The Braves did not distribute their traditional red foam tomahawks to fans before Game 5 of the National League Division Series.įans of the Chiefs, like those of the Braves, long ago adopted the chanting and arm movement symbolizing the brandishing of a tomahawk that began at Florida State University in the 1980s. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, called a “war chant” by Braves fans disrespectful. The Atlanta Braves made changes during the baseball playoffs in October after St. The Cleveland Indians were so besieged by complaints over their Chief Wahoo emblem that the baseball team removed it from all uniforms last season. ![]() The NFL’s Washington Redskins have faced protests since the 1980s. Plenty of franchises have been confronted over Native American stereotypes. ![]() “When I see something like a tomahawk chop, which is derived from television and film portrayals, I find it incredibly offensive because it is an absolutely horrible stereotype of what a native person is,” Schilling said. ![]()
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