PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Native American group is asking Nike Inc. to stop producing and selling products that feature the Cleveland Indians’ mascot Chief Wahoo, which it calls a “grotesque caricature” of modern Indians.
It’s part of a larger national debate about getting rid of offensive Native American names and images in sports.
The Chief Wahoo logo (above), which appears on some of the baseball team’s caps and jerseys, depicts a grinning, red-faced cartoon with a feather headband.
The group, called Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, is planning a protest at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton this week and is running a social media campaign using the #Dechief hashtag.
Nike did not immediately return a call for comment regarding the mascot protest.
Critics say Native mascots lead to skewed perceptions of contemporary Native Americans.