In May 1830, the Indian Removal Act exiled all native tribes from their Ohio homes. This May, the Cleveland Indians will honor their legacy and support the old tribes of Ohio by bringing them back into light. But first, fans must understand why the days of supporting Chief Wahoo need to come to an end.
For many years, the Cleveland Indians sported a controversial logo referred to as "Chief Wahoo". Recently, the Indians discontinued the Chief Wahoo logo, but loyal fans still support the controversial imagery.
Wahoo loyalist who are uneducated in terms of why the old logo has been retired and why it is not okay to continue to rep the old memorabilia. They live in Cleveland or its surrounding cities and strong supporters of the team.
Because it was the team logo for so long, fans do not see it as offensive as other racist acts.
Educate Cleveland Indians fans to not only move on from Chief Wahoo, but to move forward from the times of injustice.
In order for fans to accept the Defend The Tribe campaign, fans need to be accurately educated about Native American culture. On the team’s Instagram page, posts will feature interviews with various tribes teaching the audience about traditional customs and cultural beliefs. Topics will range from Powwow ceremonies to spiritual beliefs to even food preparation.
Fans will not only support the Indians baseball team, but also the American Indians way of life, a once forgotten way of life of the Cleveland area.