Chicago Blackhawks ban headdresses
With the tragic murder of George Floyd sparking protests across the United States and the world, there has been a renewed call to change inappropriate and offensive names in professional sports. The Washington Redskins of the National Football League have already decided that they will be changing their name and logo while the Cleveland Indians have opened a review on their name.
However, the Chicago Blackhawks have been stern in their defense of the name Blackhawks. They argue that it is a tribute to a great Native American leader. £The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,” Chicago said in a statement earlier this month, via ESPN.
“We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations. We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people. “
On Wednesday though, the team decided to take action to ensure that fans are respectful of the Native American culture and do not make a mockery of what is supposed to be a tribute. The team announced in a statement that they have decided to ban all headdresses at the United Center where they hope to be able to play home games again next season.
“We have always maintained an expectation that our fans uphold an atmosphere of respect, and after extensive and meaningful conversations with our Native American partners, we have decided to formalize those expectations,” the team said in their statement, via ESPN. “Moving forward, headdresses will be prohibited for fans entering Blackhawks-sanctioned events or the United Center when Blackhawks home games resume. These symbols are sacred, traditionally reserved for leaders who have earned a place of great respect in their Tribe, and should not be generalized or used as a costume or for everyday wear.”
Headdresses are viewed as a symbol of strength and bravery within the Native American culture and are typically only worn by the most powerful and influential members of a tribe. Often, Blackhawks’ fans would wear headdresses as a symbol of their support for the team, despite how it could be viewed as offensive for Native Americans. The ban is being viewed as a positive step in the right direction and one that helps confirm the Blackhawks’ case of keeping their name to honour the legacy of Black Hawk.
The Blackhawks will be back in action on the ice playing their first meaningful game since the COVID-19 pandemic hit on Saturday, when they take on the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the best-of-five play-in round series. They were the final team to qualify for the play-in round in the Western Conference, sitting in 12th spot.
