The Major Lease Baseball team in Atlanta is still named in honor of Native American warriors. The National Hockey League’s franchise in Chicago is still named after the Sauk Tribe’s war chief, Black Hawk.
More than a few universities and colleges still name their various teams after various Indian tribes; San Diego State University’s Aztecs; the Chippewas of Central Michigan University; the Florida State University’s Seminoles, just to name a few.
In spite of woke white liberals trying to rescue everyone, Red Mesa High School located in Arizona’s Navajo Reservation still has retained the “Redskins” as the team name and mascot for the school.
Seriously, if the Navajo Nation has no problem with “Redskins,” then why should anyone else? Think about it, when the Braves organization or Central Michigan University chose their names, why would they choose as a mascot something or someone worthy of ridicule?
The University of Notre Dame didn’t choose the moniker of “The Drunken Irishmen” nor has Minnesota named their football team, “The Rapin’ Norsemen”. I tell ya, if I was athletically gifted enough to play for any given professional sporting franchise, you can bet I’d be proud to embrace being a “Fightin’ Zulu” or “Māori Warrior.”
That’s why I’m glad to see the Indianapolis AAA Minor League baseball team keep the title of “The Indianapolis Indians” (note, Indianapolis literally means “City of the Indians”).
Specifically, as reported by Kevin Harrish of the everything-sports website, TheComeback.com;
Even though many sports teams across the country are changing their names that are related to indigenous people groups, like the Washington Redskins becoming the Washington Commanders or the Cleveland Indians becoming the Cleveland Guardians, the Indianapolis Indians announced this week that the club will not be changing its name.
On Wednesday, the club announced that it would be keeping its current Indianapolis Indians name for at least the upcoming 2023 and 2024 baseball seasons after entering into a partnership with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana. Brian Buchanan, the Chief of the group, said in a statement that the Miami Nation of Indians “encouraged the team to remain the Indianapolis Indians.”
“We are pleased to work with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana to help educate our fans about the rich history and culture of its tribe,” Bruce Schumacher, Indianapolis Indians Chairman and CEO said in the announcement. “We look forward to using our platform to educate our fans by acknowledging, uplifting and honoring those upon whose ancestral lands Victory Field is built.
Of course, not everyone’s happy…
We could add to the cool n funny minor league team names and be the Indianapolis Tenderloins but nooooo y’all stickin with this smh https://t.co/0teZEgXGnE
— sam 🏳️🌈 (@junkityy) February 23, 2023
Disgusting beyond words. We need to work to protect children from the egregious discrimination and culture-shaming that mascots deliver. What a shame.
— Mich Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media (@nativerightsmi) February 23, 2023
Will you educate the fans on missing and murdered indigenous women, and the struggle tribes have with law enforcement not solving those crimes? Can you at least tell them this is a thing that happens today?
— iuwbb fan account 🇺🇦 (@StP_Colts) February 23, 2023
Go ahead and call me an Impi. I’d be honored…