Cleveland Indians Logo Under Attack

Posted by

The Native American advocacy group, “People Not Mascots,” is threatening the Cleveland Indians with a lawsuit for $9 billion in damages.  The group claims that the Cleveland Indians’ logo, Chief Wahoo, is offensive and racist.

According to the group’s leader, Robert Roche, a Chiricahua Apache, the substantial amount of damages is based “on a hundred years of disparity, racism, exploitation, and profiteering.”  Roche further stated the logo has “been offensive since day one.  We are not mascots.  My children are not mascots.  We are people.”

While the Cleveland Indians have been slowly phasing the logo out of use, replacing it with a letter “C” logo, local supporters and many fans disagree with the allegations of racism.  Bob Rosen, president of the Cleveland Indians fan organization, The Wahoo Club, believes “Chief Wahoo is smiling; he’s happy.  I don’t look at it as degrading – it’s a symbol of a positive thing.”

This new lawsuit, looking to be filed in late July, comes shortly after the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled the name “Redskins” to be a racial slur, removing its trademark from the Washington football team.  The decision could have some influence in the resolution of this new challenge to the Indians’ logo.

 

Native American group planning $9 billion lawsuit against the Indians

Native Groups Look to Retire the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.