Chiefs Woman behind the Redskins name change says the Chiefs should be on guard - Page 3

**BigRedChief** · 06-25-2014, 11:01 PM

The fight took a monumental shift at a protest nine years at Arrowhead Stadium and it’s about to come full circle. No matter what you think of the issue, it will soon be ubiquitous in and around Kansas City’s greatest obsession other than barbecue.

The Chiefs are aware of it, and are preparing accordingly.

Back in 2005, a group calling itself Not In Our Honor protested before the Chiefs played Washington. The protesters were predominately American Indians, united in their anger over what they perceived as offensive stereotypes passed off as nicknames for sports teams. An older woman, Suzan Harjo, one of the leaders of the protest, met a younger woman named Amanda Blackhorse, then a student at Kansas.
They bonded over their passion for the issue, and that’s how the case known as Blackhorse et al v. Pro-Football Inc. came to be. Last week the plaintiffs prevailed when the United States Patent and Trademark Office canceled the trademarks of the Washington Redskins.

The case is under appeal, but you should know that the woman who took on and (at least for the moment) defeated the corporate entity that owns Washington’s NFL team would like to see the same type of case brought against the Chiefs.
As she says, the spark that started back in 2005 at Arrowhead has created a fire that will probably soon return.

“What happens there, it’s just insane the things they allow to go on,” Blackhorse says of the Chiefs and Arrowhead. “They are definitely in the group (of offensive teams), for sure.”

For now, the Chiefs are publicly silent on this. But they know the fight is likely coming, and they hope a few things work in their favor — most notably that it’s tough to compare their nickname with the one in Washington that is a dictionary-defined racial slur. Blackhorse’s group has also protested baseball’s Cleveland Indians, and that team has greatly scaled back its use of the cartoonish Chief Wahoo logo.

The Chiefs have similarly scaled back some of their more obvious plays on Indian stereotypes, and they hope they have some other advantages when the fight comes. The team is named after H. Roe Bartle, the mayor who was key in Kansas City landing the team from Dallas in 1962. Bartle’s nickname was “The Chief.”

The team stopped using a man dressed in traditional headgear as a mascot during pregame festivities many years ago. In the early 1990s, many of the Chiefs’ defensive players posed for a poster that today both looks absolutely ridiculous and would never be recreated.
The team does, however, play the tomahawk chop during games and welcomes fans in headgear and other stereotypes of Native American dress.

Those are some of the parts of the game day experience that Blackhorse calls “insane,” and why she expects a fight that’s gaining momentum and support nationally to come to Kansas City.

She knows that the vast majority of Chiefs fans will oppose her, but she also knows that the vast majority of fans in Washington opposed her, as well.

She says there is “no middle ground with this issue,” that once an ethnic group is used as a nickname for a sports team, the people in that ethic group lose control of their identity and humanity.

“I don’t want people to think I’m going around pointing fingers, like, ‘You’re a racist, you’re a racist, you’re a racist,’ ” she says. “That’s not the point. The point is we’re offended. You can love Native Americans to death. You can have admiration, love what we do, how we are, whatever, and still (hijack) our culture without understanding it that way.”

Wherever you stand on this issue, there is no denying that Blackhorse’s side is making progress. Teams are sensitive to and aware of perpetuating stereotypes so much more than in the past, in response to public sentiment.

The issue is further complicated by context, that this is a fight centered around Indians, who make up about 1 percent of the nation’s population and who, in Blackhorse’s words, “are invisible sometimes to people.”
That makes getting the message out a bit more difficult. A group of people that feels offended by widespread stereotyping isn’t big enough to get critical mass on its own.

That’s why Blackhorse says the movement needs the help of non-Indians, and part of why she’s so encouraged by developments in Congress and with the trademark case.

There is a lot of momentum here, which can be dangerous for teams like the Chiefs that will likely soon find themselves directly in the fight.
“I’m not sure there’s anything the (Chiefs) can do at this point other than look for another name,” Blackhorse says. “They could be the team that says, ‘You know what? We understand the issue and we don’t want to be Dan Snyder and fight this in court forever. We want to do the right thing and move forward and avoid this entire battle.’ I’m sure fans will be upset, but still, that’s doing the right thing.

“If they want to be sensitive to Native American people, that’s the thing to do.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

Early 90's

**007** · 06-26-2014, 01:49 AM

The Kansas City Wiz returns.

kcchiefsus · 06-26-2014, 02:20 AM

Somebody just needs to murder these ****s.

PunkinDrublic · 06-26-2014, 03:01 AM

You have to be one arrogant self-riotious piece of shit to believe you are speaking on behalf of all native Americans. This group will not win. The Redskins wouldn't have lost out if Daniel Snyder wasn't such an unlike able prick. The Hunts will not lose this one. Mark my words.

Hammock Parties · 06-26-2014, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

The Hunts will not lose this one. Mark my words.

I would expect no less from from one of this country's shining examples of capitalistic American supremacy.

This will be their finest hour.

CLARKS!

CLARKS!

CLARKS!

eDave · 06-26-2014, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

You have to be one arrogant self-riotious piece of shit to believe you are speaking on behalf of all native Americans. This group will not win. The Redskins wouldn't have lost out if Daniel Snyder wasn't such an unlike able prick. The Hunts will not lose this one. Mark my words.

If Snyder loses, so will Hunt. It will just be a matter of time as these chicks will never give up. Then were does it stop? Is "Arrowhead" stadium offensive too?!! PETA going after animal names?!!!!

In the end, we will end up as the Kansas City Football Club. Kansas City Football Stadium.

We better hope that Snyder stands his ground. Firmly.

AndChiefs · 06-26-2014, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

If Snyder loses, so will Hunt. It will just be a matter of time as these chicks will never give up. Then were does it stop? Is "Arrowhead" stadium offensive too?!! PETA going after animal names?!!!!

In the end, we will end up as the Kansas City Football Club. Kansas City Football Stadium.

We better hope that Snyder stands his ground. Firmly.

What do you mean, club? I'm offended by this exclusionary term.

**TribalElder** · 06-26-2014, 04:24 AM

If they change names nobody will remember Indians exist lol

They should go **** themselves

**LoneWolf** · 06-26-2014, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

If Snyder loses, so will Hunt. It will just be a matter of time as these chicks will never give up. Then were does it stop? Is "Arrowhead" stadium offensive too?!! PETA going after animal names?!!!!

In the end, we will end up as the Kansas City Football Club. Kansas City Football Stadium.

We better hope that Snyder stands his ground. Firmly.

There is nothing racially offensive about the name Chiefs or the Arrowhead logo. The argument could be made that the tomahawk chop, running Warpaint out after the Chiefs score, and the banging if the giant drum should be discontinued, but I seriously doubt that the courts would see "Chiefs" in the same way they viewed "Redskins".

**ChiefGator** · 06-26-2014, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

There is nothing racially offensive about the name Chiefs or the Arrowhead logo. The argument could be made that the tomahawk chop, running Warpaint out after the Chiefs score, and the banging if the giant drum should be discontinued, but I seriously doubt that the courts would see "Chiefs" in the same way they viewed "Redskins".

This. ANd at what point is it the fans and not the team anyway?

Are we going to inspect our clothes going into the stadium, hell leaving my house in the morning?

ForeverChiefs58 · 06-26-2014, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybone McTimmerson

Someone should calmly explain to her that we're named after the mayor of the city when the Chiefs came to town. I'm certain that would clear this up, quickly. All parties involved seem to be of level heads.

George Preston Marshall, owner and founder of the franchise, sought to rename the Boston Braves after leaving the stadium they shared with the baseball team of the same name. The name was changed to ‘Redskins’ to honor then-coach Lone Star Dietz, an American Sioux.

It doesn't matter the good intentions, typical liberal PC bullshit

KCUnited · 06-26-2014, 05:18 AM

I casino reason the Chiefs should have to change their name.

**Easy 6** · 06-26-2014, 05:30 AM

She can take this name when she pries it from my cold, dead hand.

PhillyChiefFan · 06-26-2014, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefGator

This. ANd at what point is it the fans and not the team anyway?

Are we going to inspect our clothes going into the stadium, hell leaving my house in the morning?

This. The drum, the headdresses etc are all on the fans and won't stop just because of this. Same as Radiers fans dressing up as idiots. No matter what happens with the Redskins, Indians, Braves, or Chiefs people will still be wearing their jerseys and hats with the name on it. Probably MORE people will wear the stuff as a big middle finger to these people.

soopamanluva · 06-26-2014, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

There is nothing racially offensive about the name Chiefs or the Arrowhead logo. The argument could be made that the tomahawk chop, running Warpaint out after the Chiefs score, and the banging if the giant drum should be discontinued, but I seriously doubt that the courts would see "Chiefs" in the same way they viewed "Redskins".

Exactly. The name is fine, the imagery around it is questionable though.

Doesn't matter to me, "Redskins" needs to go

soopamanluva · 06-26-2014, 05:37 AM

How do you honor someone with an insult?

06-25-2014, 11:01 PM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3149627 VARSITY	Woman behind the Redskins name change says the Chiefs should be on guard The fight took a monumental shift at a protest nine years at Arrowhead Stadium and it’s about to come full circle. No matter what you think of the issue, it will soon be ubiquitous in and around Kansas City’s greatest obsession other than barbecue. The Chiefs are aware of it, and are preparing accordingly. Back in 2005, a group calling itself Not In Our Honor protested before the Chiefs played Washington. The protesters were predominately American Indians, united in their anger over what they perceived as offensive stereotypes passed off as nicknames for sports teams. An older woman, Suzan Harjo, one of the leaders of the protest, met a younger woman named Amanda Blackhorse, then a student at Kansas. They bonded over their passion for the issue, and that’s how the case known as Blackhorse et al v. Pro-Football Inc. came to be. Last week the plaintiffs prevailed when the United States Patent and Trademark Office canceled the trademarks of the Washington Redskins. The case is under appeal, but you should know that the woman who took on and (at least for the moment) defeated the corporate entity that owns Washington’s NFL team would like to see the same type of case brought against the Chiefs. As she says, the spark that started back in 2005 at Arrowhead has created a fire that will probably soon return. “What happens there, it’s just insane the things they allow to go on,” Blackhorse says of the Chiefs and Arrowhead. “They are definitely in the group (of offensive teams), for sure.” For now, the Chiefs are publicly silent on this. But they know the fight is likely coming, and they hope a few things work in their favor — most notably that it’s tough to compare their nickname with the one in Washington that is a dictionary-defined racial slur. Blackhorse’s group has also protested baseball’s Cleveland Indians, and that team has greatly scaled back its use of the cartoonish Chief Wahoo logo. The Chiefs have similarly scaled back some of their more obvious plays on Indian stereotypes, and they hope they have some other advantages when the fight comes. The team is named after H. Roe Bartle, the mayor who was key in Kansas City landing the team from Dallas in 1962. Bartle’s nickname was “The Chief.” The team stopped using a man dressed in traditional headgear as a mascot during pregame festivities many years ago. In the early 1990s, many of the Chiefs’ defensive players posed for a poster that today both looks absolutely ridiculous and would never be recreated. The team does, however, play the tomahawk chop during games and welcomes fans in headgear and other stereotypes of Native American dress. Those are some of the parts of the game day experience that Blackhorse calls “insane,” and why she expects a fight that’s gaining momentum and support nationally to come to Kansas City. She knows that the vast majority of Chiefs fans will oppose her, but she also knows that the vast majority of fans in Washington opposed her, as well. She says there is “no middle ground with this issue,” that once an ethnic group is used as a nickname for a sports team, the people in that ethic group lose control of their identity and humanity. “I don’t want people to think I’m going around pointing fingers, like, ‘You’re a racist, you’re a racist, you’re a racist,’ ” she says. “That’s not the point. The point is we’re offended. You can love Native Americans to death. You can have admiration, love what we do, how we are, whatever, and still (hijack) our culture without understanding it that way.” Wherever you stand on this issue, there is no denying that Blackhorse’s side is making progress. Teams are sensitive to and aware of perpetuating stereotypes so much more than in the past, in response to public sentiment. The issue is further complicated by context, that this is a fight centered around Indians, who make up about 1 percent of the nation’s population and who, in Blackhorse’s words, “are invisible sometimes to people.” That makes getting the message out a bit more difficult. A group of people that feels offended by widespread stereotyping isn’t big enough to get critical mass on its own. That’s why Blackhorse says the movement needs the help of non-Indians, and part of why she’s so encouraged by developments in Congress and with the trademark case. There is a lot of momentum here, which can be dangerous for teams like the Chiefs that will likely soon find themselves directly in the fight. “I’m not sure there’s anything the (Chiefs) can do at this point other than look for another name,” Blackhorse says. “They could be the team that says, ‘You know what? We understand the issue and we don’t want to be Dan Snyder and fight this in court forever. We want to do the right thing and move forward and avoid this entire battle.’ I’m sure fans will be upset, but still, that’s doing the right thing. “If they want to be sensitive to Native American people, that’s the thing to do.” Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy Early 90's
Posts: 79,009

06-26-2014, 01:49 AM	#31
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $14060126 VARSITY	The Kansas City Wiz returns. __________________ My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.
Posts: 65,554

06-26-2014, 02:20 AM	#32
kcchiefsus Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nowhere Casino cash: $10017949	Somebody just needs to murder these ****s.
Posts: 4,649

06-26-2014, 03:01 AM	#33
PunkinDrublic Stay down bitch! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $6450670	You have to be one arrogant self-riotious piece of shit to believe you are speaking on behalf of all native Americans. This group will not win. The Redskins wouldn't have lost out if Daniel Snyder wasn't such an unlike able prick. The Hunts will not lose this one. Mark my words. __________________ Disappointing my parents since 1976
Posts: 9,151

06-26-2014, 04:24 AM	#37
TribalElder Arrowhead Trail of Tears Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: KansasCity Casino cash: $2420441	If they change names nobody will remember Indians exist lol They should go **** themselves
Posts: 29,150

06-26-2014, 05:18 AM	#41
KCUnited Cheat Death Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Land of Drincoln Casino cash: $2298244	I casino reason the Chiefs should have to change their name.
Posts: 33,917

06-26-2014, 05:30 AM	#42
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3737775	She can take this name when she pries it from my cold, dead hand.
Posts: 91,669

06-26-2014, 05:37 AM	#45
soopamanluva Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Casino cash: $10005147	How do you honor someone with an insult?
Posts: 847