Chief Wahoo ≠ Louis Sockalexis
Last week I blogged about how the Cleveland Indians could save some face by re-branding Chief Wahoo:
Turns out there are some who believe that Chief Wahoo is a "tribute" to or the logo actually pays "homage" to Louis Sockalexis, who Baseball Almanac has reported to be professional baseball's first American Indian player. He apparently played for the Cleveland "Spiders" from 1897-99.
Last night the Cleveland Indians came to town to play the struggling Minnesota Twins, and on my way home leaving downtown Minneapolis this evening I noticed a number of baseball fans heading toward the Metrodome adorned with Chief Wahoo logo-wear.
Funny thing, no one was wearing or carrying anything even remotely resembling Louis Sockalexis:
OK, enough said on the "tribute" and "homage" rationales for keeping Wahoo.
In order to be Politically Correct, shouldn't you really be using the term "Native American" in order to avoid the inaccurate allusion to "Indians" (which was and is, of course, a Eurocentric construct?) I mean, it was Columbus, of course, the great Italian explorer (and small pox messenger) who in searching for an alternate route to India dubbed the indigenous Americans "Indians."
Curtis, thanks for your comment.
Good insight and fair question, although I can't say my goal is to be PC, only C (correct, that is).
In my experience, the terms "Native American" and "American Indian" can both be used without offense.
You might check out the National Congress of American Indians website: www.ncai.org
In addition, the Native American Rights Fund: www.narf.org.