Chief Wahoo
Encyclopedia
Chief Wahoo is a trademarked logo for the Cleveland Indians
baseball team. The illustration is a Native American
cartoon caricature.
Although the club had adopted the name "Indians" starting with the 1915 season, there was no acknowledgment of this nickname on their uniforms until 1928. Prior to that, the uniforms contained variations on a stylized "C" or the word "CLEVELAND", just as they had from the club's beginning in 1901 (excepting the 1921 season, when the front of the club's uniform shirts read "Worlds Champions"). For 1928, the club's home uniform bore a patch on the left breast, a drawing of an "Indian" (Native American), in profile, and in full headdress. A smaller version of that same patch migrated to the home uniform sleeve the next year and remained through 1938. For 1939 the club wore the Baseball Centennial patch on the sleeve. Various other patches were worn for the next few years, none of them featuring Indians. In 1946, both the home and road shirts featured a City of Cleveland Sesquicentennial patch. In 1947, home and road uniforms began featuring the first incarnation of Chief Wahoo, replacing the old profile with a three-quarters face style. A newer style of Chief Wahoo replaced that one on the uniform shirt sleeve starting in 1951. That style has remained the model for Chief Wahoo to this day.
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.
The logo 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.
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." However, the article didn't discuss any polling specifically on the Chief Wahoo caricature. According to the article, "There is a near total disconnect between Indian activists and the Native American population on this issue." However, the results of the poll have been criticized by Native American activists due to Sports Illustrated's refusal to provide polling information. Among the questions raised are how "Indians" were found and contacted, if they were concentrated in urban areas or on reservations, if a small number of tribes were overrepresented, and the exact wording and order of the questions. However, in 2004, a poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania essentially confirmed the prior poll's findings about Native American sports team names, showing that 91% of the American Indians surveyed in the 48 states on the mainland USA found the name of Washington Redskins
football team acceptable and setting out in detail the exact wording of the questions.
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's ballplayers while the Christian Science Monitor ran an editorial deploring its continued use. Most major television and news networks continue to use the logo on their respective Indians' team page.
In 2008, Major League Baseball
introduced special caps with each team's cap logo woven into the "Stars and Stripes
" that were worn during major American holidays. The Indians cap with Chief Wahoo emblazoned in stars and stripes caused some controversy. As a result, in 2009 MLB redesigned the Indians "Stars and Stripes" cap with a "C" logo replacing Chief Wahoo.
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
baseball team. The illustration is a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
cartoon caricature.
Although the club had adopted the name "Indians" starting with the 1915 season, there was no acknowledgment of this nickname on their uniforms until 1928. Prior to that, the uniforms contained variations on a stylized "C" or the word "CLEVELAND", just as they had from the club's beginning in 1901 (excepting the 1921 season, when the front of the club's uniform shirts read "Worlds Champions"). For 1928, the club's home uniform bore a patch on the left breast, a drawing of an "Indian" (Native American), in profile, and in full headdress. A smaller version of that same patch migrated to the home uniform sleeve the next year and remained through 1938. For 1939 the club wore the Baseball Centennial patch on the sleeve. Various other patches were worn for the next few years, none of them featuring Indians. In 1946, both the home and road shirts featured a City of Cleveland Sesquicentennial patch. In 1947, home and road uniforms began featuring the first incarnation of Chief Wahoo, replacing the old profile with a three-quarters face style. A newer style of Chief Wahoo replaced that one on the uniform shirt sleeve starting in 1951. That style has remained the model for Chief Wahoo to this day.
Protests against the use of the Chief Wahoo character greeted the opening of Jacobs Field
Jacobs Field
Progressive Field is a ballpark located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and is the home of the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball and the American League. Along with Quicken Loans Arena, it is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex...
in 1994. While the Cleveland police arrested the protesters for aggravated arson, such charges were eventually dropped. The protesters, led by Vernon Bellecourt
Vernon Bellecourt
Vernon Bellecourt, Indian name WaBun-Inini, was a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe , and a Native American rights activist, one of the highest leaders in the American Indian Movement...
, sued the city for violating their free speech rights. The protesters' lawsuit was dismissed by the Ohio State Supreme Court in 2004.
The logo continues to draw protests from some members of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes and the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
and is opposed by the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights.
According to polling results published in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, "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." However, the article didn't discuss any polling specifically on the Chief Wahoo caricature. According to the article, "There is a near total disconnect between Indian activists and the Native American population on this issue." However, the results of the poll have been criticized by Native American activists due to Sports Illustrated's refusal to provide polling information. Among the questions raised are how "Indians" were found and contacted, if they were concentrated in urban areas or on reservations, if a small number of tribes were overrepresented, and the exact wording and order of the questions. However, in 2004, a poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania essentially confirmed the prior poll's findings about Native American sports team names, showing that 91% of the American Indians surveyed in the 48 states on the mainland USA found the name of Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
football team acceptable and setting out in detail the exact wording of the questions.
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
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
used it as the logo on the stats line for Cleveland's ballplayers while the Christian Science Monitor ran an editorial deploring its continued use. Most major television and news networks continue to use the logo on their respective Indians' team page.
In 2008, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
introduced special caps with each team's cap logo woven into the "Stars and Stripes
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
" that were worn during major American holidays. The Indians cap with Chief Wahoo emblazoned in stars and stripes caused some controversy. As a result, in 2009 MLB redesigned the Indians "Stars and Stripes" cap with a "C" logo replacing Chief Wahoo.
See also
- Native American mascot controversyNative American mascot controversyThe propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s.Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century...
- Chief Noc-A-HomaChief Noc-A-HomaChief Noc-A-Homa was the original mascot of the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves from 1950s until 1986. The name was used for the "screaming Indian" sleeve patch worn on Braves jerseys...
- Tom E. Hawk (similar mascot of affiliated Kinston IndiansKinston IndiansThe Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
) - Golliwog
- Sambo (racial term)
- List of sports team names and mascots derived from Indigenous peoples
- List of ethnic sports team and mascot names (all ethnicities)