Chiefs Woman behind the Redskins name change says the Chiefs should be on guard - Page 36

**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

**ptlyon** · 06-27-2014, 12:32 PM

Somebody needs to find out where this bitch lives and start flying banners relentlessly over her tee pee

Discuss Thrower · 06-27-2014, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 505 Chief

Someone suggested going Highlander, replacing the Natives. Red and Gold Kilts for everyone!

Now that's an angle I never thought of.

Hammock Parties · 06-27-2014, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Somebody needs to find out where this bitch lives and start flying banners relentlessly over her tee pee

If you have a problem, if no one else can help you, and if you can find them...

Crying Ramtard · 06-27-2014, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPATCH

Would you like to stand a chance when this inevitably goes to court? These are not enormous changes that I am suggesting. They are completely reasonable.

Honestly, the next case that could and SHOULD be pursued is the Cleveland Indians. The Chief Wahoo mascot isn't going to stand a chance.

In the meantime, let's be like the Warriors. Let's put a little distance between ourselves and NA imagery.

I don't want a new team name, do you?

LOL they are trying to win outside of court because theres no way in heck they have any type of case. Theres no definable proof that racism exists through a sports team name as a legal matter in this instance . Its obsessive existential opinionated here say.

Crying Ramtard · 06-27-2014, 12:35 PM

when can I post videos ?

Halfcan · 06-27-2014, 12:39 PM

Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium!

Don't mess with it!!

SPATCH · 06-27-2014, 12:49 PM

We've got a lot of things going for us. Our name can't be easily construed as a racial slur and our logos don't feature any caricatures of Native Americans.

The team has a chance to cut out the last little bit of team-sanctioned activity that evokes strong Native American imagery (and lampoons it). We have a chance to be seen as a team that is sensitive to Native American concerns and does not attempt to disparage Natives in any way. We should take that chance.

This is simple, cover-your-ass stuff that good organizations practice everyday.

Be the Warriors, not the Redskins.

Marcellus · 06-27-2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

You don't get it.

You cannot disassociate the Chiefs' name and Arrowhead stadium from native Americans. Getting rid of the war drum, Warpaint and the Tomahawk Chop is window dressing.

I don't give a shit if you cant. There is nothing disrespectful about it.

Are Indian motorcycles disrespectful? Native Americans rode horses not motorcycles.

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us

Where do you draw the line?

Crying Ramtard · 06-27-2014, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPATCH

We've got a lot of things going for us. Our name can't be easily construed as a racial slur and our logos don't feature any caricatures of Native Americans.

The team has a chance to cut out the last little bit of team-sanctioned activity that evokes strong Native American imagery (and lampoons it). We have a chance to be seen as a team that is sensitive to Native American concerns and does not attempt to disparage Natives in any way. We should take that chance.

This is simple, cover-your-ass stuff that good organizations practice everyday.

Be the Warriors, not the Redskins.

good thing your pansy ass isn't in the Chiefs front office

Discuss Thrower · 06-27-2014, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I don't give a shit if you cant. There is nothing disrespectful about it.

Are Indian motorcycles disrespectful? Native Americans rode horses not motorcycles.

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us

Where do you draw the line?

It's not up to me what's respectful or not.

ModSocks · 06-27-2014, 01:07 PM

Damnit man.

SUE THE YANKEES, WHITE PEOPLE.

Crying Ramtard · 06-27-2014, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

It's not up to me what's respectful or not.

its up to you to be able to discern fact from fiction though and not let fools influence you with false claims

**Old Dog** · 06-27-2014, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram29jackson

good thing your pansy ass isn't in the Chiefs front office

in this case the noob speaks the truth

**loochy** · 06-27-2014, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Damnit man.

SUE THE YANKEES, WHITE PEOPLE.

We have better things to do. We aren't just sitting around on the steps of our reservation trailers, being bored, and looking for things to be outraged by.

duncan_idaho · 06-27-2014, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPATCH

We've got a lot of things going for us. Our name can't be easily construed as a racial slur and our logos don't feature any caricatures of Native Americans.

The team has a chance to cut out the last little bit of team-sanctioned activity that evokes strong Native American imagery (and lampoons it). We have a chance to be seen as a team that is sensitive to Native American concerns and does not attempt to disparage Natives in any way. We should take that chance.

This is simple, cover-your-ass stuff that good organizations practice everyday.

Be the Warriors, not the Redskins.

Agree 100 percent.... my early posts in this thread are almost word-for-word.

06-25-2014, 11:01 PM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $2999627 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: 79,140

06-27-2014, 12:32 PM	#526
ptlyon Bono & Grbac wasn't enough Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sioux City, IA Casino cash: $12963829	Somebody needs to find out where this bitch lives and start flying banners relentlessly over her tee pee __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advertise here: $19.99 a month
Posts: 33,709

06-27-2014, 12:35 PM	#530
Crying Ramtard Veteran Join Date: Jun 2014 Casino cash: $10012670	when can I post videos ?
Posts: 1,199

06-27-2014, 12:39 PM	#531
Halfcan In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7327995	Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium! Don't mess with it!!
Posts: 43,200

06-27-2014, 12:49 PM	#532
SPATCH birth of spatch Join Date: May 2008 Casino cash: $10006207	We've got a lot of things going for us. Our name can't be easily construed as a racial slur and our logos don't feature any caricatures of Native Americans. The team has a chance to cut out the last little bit of team-sanctioned activity that evokes strong Native American imagery (and lampoons it). We have a chance to be seen as a team that is sensitive to Native American concerns and does not attempt to disparage Natives in any way. We should take that chance. This is simple, cover-your-ass stuff that good organizations practice everyday. Be the Warriors, not the Redskins.
Posts: 4,569

06-27-2014, 01:07 PM	#536
ModSocks Needs more middle fingers Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego Casino cash: $4174563	Damnit man. SUE THE YANKEES, WHITE PEOPLE. __________________ Life is like a dick. Sometimes it gets hard for no reason, but it can't stay hard forever.
Posts: 64,435