#BRAVES TOMAHAWK CHOP SERIES#

Change is also happening in other sports. If one Native American is offended by the chop, that is all it should take for changes to be made.Ĭleveland’s Major League Baseball team recently announced the team will change their name from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians after Native Americans expressed that the team’s logos and names were racist. In that market, we’re taking into account the Native American community.”įinding Native Americans to justify your beliefs about the chop in order to drown out the voices of opposition is not only counterproductive but also makes people of color believe their voices aren’t being heard.

#BRAVES TOMAHAWK CHOP SERIES#

“It reduces Native Americans to a caricature and minimizes the contributions of Native peoples as equal citizens and human beings.”īut Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred defended the chop before the start of the World Series saying that Native Americans in Georgia are wholly supportive of the Braves program, including ‘The Chop.’ĭuring an interview with the Atlantic, Manfred said, “The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including ‘The Chop.’ For me, that’s kind of the end of the story. “Although the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ may be a game-day tradition, it is not an appropriate acknowledgment of tribal tradition or culture,” said Creek Nation Principal Chief James R.

Helsley isn’t the only Native American who has expressed concern towards the Braves and the ‘Tomahawk Chop.’Īccording to a CNN article published in 2019, Chiefs from the Cherokee and Creek Indians believe ‘the chop’ is insensitive and inappropriate. “It depicts them us in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual.” “I think it’s a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general,” he said during an interview with the Atlantic. In 2019, Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley, an indigenous Cherokee American, called out the Braves organization and its fans for using ‘The Chop.’

The problem with the celebration is that it’s extremely racist and an absolute misrepresentation of Native Americans.īut the chop isn’t new to controversy. When Braves fans want to celebrate or help rally their team, they stick their arm out in front of them and simulate the chopping from an ax or a tomahawk while chanting rhythmic Native American sounds associated with their culture. It was made popular by Florida State university football fans in the 1980s. Eighty-seven groups and shareholders sent letters to FedEx, Nike and Pepisco asking those companies to end their relationships with the Redskins unless they changed their name.The Atlanta Braves have a unique fan celebration called the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ that has been a part of the city’s tradition for decades. They also do not appear to be facing the type of corporate pressure from Truist, the bank that holds the naming rights to their ballpark, as the Redskins did from FedEx, for which the team’s FedEx Field is named. The Braves added they have held meetings with their Native American Working Group, which will collaborate with the team on “cultural issues, education and community outreach to amplify their voices and show our fans they are still proudly here.” The statement concluded, “We have much work to do on and off the field, but the Atlanta Braves are ready to meet the challenge of these times.” Reviewing the name would be one way to meet that challenge, but the Braves, whose jerseys include the depiction of a tomahawk, evidently do not view it as a significant issue.

That will never change,” the team said in a statement released to media outlets over the weekend. “The Atlanta Braves honor, support and value the Native American community. The Braves do not intend to change their name, though discussions about the team’s use of the “Tomahawk Chop” are ongoing, sources said. The Atlanta Braves are not considering a similar move. The Cleveland Indians followed by saying they would engage in discussions to determine the best path forward with their name. The Washington Redskins announced Friday they would conduct a thorough review of the team’s name.

Braves tomahawk chop