The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario will go ahead and hear the complaint against the Cleveland Indians over their controversial team name and logo, Chief Wahoo. Tribunal Adjudicator Jo-Anne Pickel will not defer the case brought by Douglas Cardinal in October 2016. The case is also progressing through the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Pickel will not defer to the CHRC since the Tribunal is further along in the process. The advanced stage of the litigation in the Tribunal would make it inappropriate for Pickel …
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Put on Your Rally Caps: Cleveland Indians Complaint Still Alive in Ontario
Last October, Indigenous activist and architect, Douglas Cardinal, filed a complaint with Ontario’s human rights tribunal, which sought to bar the Cleveland Indians from being able to use their name or wear specific logos at Major League Baseball games played in Toronto. Cardinal alleged the team name and logo of “Chief Wahoo” — a grinning cartoon man with red skin and a feather in his headband — violated both provincial and national human rights legislation. Despite the MLB’s insistence to do so, tribunal adjudicator, Jo-Anne …
Continue ReadingCanadian Court Dismisses Application to Bar Cleveland Indians From Wearing Uniforms with Name and Logo During Playoffs in Toronto
Just before Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, indigenous activist Douglas Cardinal filed a legal challenge in Ontario Superior Court to prevent the Cleveland Indians from wearing uniforms bearing their team name and “Chief Wahoo” logo. The logo is a red-faced cartoon with a feather headband and a huge grin. Cardinal argued that the team name and logo are racist and violate Ontario’s human rights code. He contended that the team should be referred to as “the Cleveland team” and should play in …
Continue ReadingIs This the End for the Cleveland Indian’s Chief Wahoo?
Chief Wahoo, an iconic American Indian caricature, has been the face and logo of the Cleveland Indians pro baseball team since 1947. While he appears to have aged well over the past 69 years, this may be his most challenging year yet.
Chief Wahoo is no stranger to criticism. American Indian groups have been protesting his presence for about 20 years, saying his image is racist and offensive. In an effort to appease protestors, the Cleveland Indians officially made the block letter “C” …
Continue ReadingCleveland Indians Logo Under Attack
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.”…
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