Chicago Blackhawks should change logo

I wish the author of the linked article had taken the time to seek some input from the three Sac [Sauk] and Fox groupings that are in existence (the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma, the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Missiissippi in Iowa, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska). While I agree with much of what the author has written applies to a number of professional sports teams (particular the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Redskins) I am not certain his critique applies in equal measure to the particular instance of the Chicago Black Hawks. The image used by the Chicago team, while stylistically dated, is hardly the cartoonish caricature of, say, the Cleveland Indians' logo. To the best of my knowledge, Chicago Black Hawk fans do not indulge themselves in buffoonish arm-waving group displays to the sound of a Hollywood "Cowboys & Indians" soundtrack that Atlanta Braves fans do, nor does the team name have the pejorative connotations of the Washington Redskins.

The author correctly points out that a number of the professional teams mentioned above defend their names as "tradition" and of "coming from a place of respect", I think he deals with the question of tradition adequately, he could have done more to demolish the illusion of "coming from a place of respect" with a few examples of the team marketers' and team fans' buffoonery.

I am still wondering, though, why this blond haired blue eyed academic whose surname seems to indicate ancestry in either the Low Countries or Germany seeks to raise the question in the absence of any apparent call from the descendants of the war leader for whom the Chicago NHL franchise appears to be named to actually, you know, change the name of the team. Could that be the smell of vanguardism in the morning? Is it possible the Sac and Fox people consider that the franchise is treating their ancestor with something approaching appropriate respect? Even a cursory search into the contemporary history of the Sax and Fox people shows they have sufficient organizational ability (and moxie) to tackle the state government in Oklahoma in a jurisdictional dispute over vehicle registration and taxation (a dispute the Sac and Fox ultimately won). Surely these people are not the kind of shrinking violets who need an outside academic to speak on their behalf.

If there comes a time when the descendants of Black Hawk seek to tell the owners of the Chicago NHL franchise to stop using the name and imagery, I would stand four-square with them, and I would hope the author of the piece would do the same. Until that time, though I am willing to give the franchise the benefit of the doubt and accept that are using the name and imagery with appropriate respect. Unlike the other professional franchises that come to mind when discussing names and imagery, the Chicago franchise is dealing with a particular name, with a particular history - and there are a particular people to consult with as to what kind of job they are doing - the other franchise are indulging in generalizations, with all the accompanying problems with stereotyping that generalizations bring to the table.

Hell yeah they should change it. How hard is it to see that this "honouring" crap is really just pandering to stereotypes of nobility, bravery, etc. that have pervaded white thinking about indigenous peoples for years? It's appropriation, not respect.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-2003-cbc-massey-lectures-the-truth-abo...

My feeling is i should leave it up to First Nations to decide what is or is not offensive to them.  While i might personally consider it appropriation, most of my FN friends seem to be ok with it...