Native American Motifs

Cleveland Indians

"Chief Wahoo"

THEIR LOGO'S HISTORY

1915-1920

1921-1927

1928

1929-1932

1933-1945

1946-1950

The 1st "Chief Wahoo"

1951-1972

1973-1979

1980

Symbolism and Racism in Sports

The findings about symbolism and racism underscore observations that the Chief Wahoo icon is an appropriated image of American Manifest Destiny ideologies that is difficult to study, and impossible to root out. In a perverted sense this "honoring" or inferiorizing of the "natural" noble-savage Native, is an integral symbol of American popular culture and history. An "Indians" team is generic language shared by "the major six" (National Coalition Against Racism in Sports): Washington "Redskins" and Kansas City "Chiefs" football teams, Atlanta "Braves" baseball team, the Florida State "Seminoles" and the Illinois "Illini" university named mascots, including dancing "Chief Illini" and horseback riding fake warchiefs in feather headdresses at Florida games.

Racism is thus controlled and defined by dominant group ideologies (Thompson, 1990), that responds differentially to similar cases of different ethnic groups. "Frito Bandito and Black Sambo were eliminated, but Chief Wahoo and his ilk live on...." Bellecourt, (1997) maintains, speaking for the suppressed American Indian Movement. Responding to social movements, protests, economic and demographic pressures emanating from minority ethnic groups in relation to institutional structures with specific goals and objectives, our American society, collectively, does not include small groups with idealized or denied histories, like Native American "Nations."

Racism is thereby expressed through the Wahoo icon as being socio-politically acceptable, especially in accordance with group behavior and ritual, continually reinforced by its own leaders. 

CONCEPT/THEME

The name of the team was changed to "Indians" for the honour of the first native American player, Louis Sockalexis.

Then the logo was created, which is modeled on a character in a cartoon called "big chief wahoo". This cartoon was very popular during the 30's.

Sources:

http://www.toonopedia.com/wahoo.htm 

http://www.sportslogos.net/team.php?id=57

http://www.aistm.org/symbolic.racism.htm

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/wahoo.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Wahoo