Following years of protests by fans and Native American groups, the Cleveland Indians have decided to change the name of their team, away from a moniker who has long been criticized as racist, three people familiar with the decision said Sunday.
The move follows the NFL’s Washington football team’s decision in July to stop using the name, which is considered a racial slur, and is part of a larger national debate on racism this year amid formal anti – racism and police violence.
Cleveland could announce its plans soon this week, with three people said they spoke anonymously because they did not have the authority to speak publicly on the matter.
It was not immediately clear what Cleveland’s correct actions would be beyond dropping the name of the Indians. The change to a new name involves a number of logistics concepts, including working with consistent manufacturers and other panel equipment and companies that produce stadium signages.
One of the people, Cleveland plans to keep the names and uniforms of Indians for the 2021 season, while working to replace them before 2022.
Cartoon icon Chief Wahoo spent most of the year in Cleveland gradually before the 2019 season with logos and images.
One option the team is considering, two people, advancing without an alternative name – like how the Washington football team continued – is then consulting with the public and coming up with a new name.
Cleveland baseball rights have been known to Indians since 1915, but Native American groups and others have for decades opposed the use of indigenous names, symbols and images for sports groups, insisting that they were despicable and racist. Cleveland’s name and Washington’s old name were considered among the highest examples, and were the target of widespread campaigns for change.
The Cleveland team did not immediately comment.
Other professional sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Kansas mayors and the Chicago Blackhawks, have said they have no plans to change their names in recent months. Many universities and high schools have long since abandoned Native American names and symbols, but efforts to mark names at all levels of the game in the United States have increased in recent months.
For Cleveland, the process began when its longtime icon, Chief Wahoo, announced the retirement of a cartoon caricature, which was particularly seen as an attack. Many applauded the decision, but insisted the team’s name should go as well.
In July, just hours after Washington announced it would change its name (under pressure from key supporters such as FedEx, Pepsi and Nike), Cleveland said it would conduct a “thorough investigation” into its nickname. The group has consulted with several Native American groups in Ohio and nationally.
“We are committed to engaging our community and relevant stakeholders to determine the best path regarding our team name,” the team said in a statement in July.
Native American bands usually appear at the opening of Cleveland’s home each spring, and sometimes face verbal abuse as fans enter the arena. In recent years, the group has worked with protesters and police to ensure the safety of protesters and their right to free and peaceful expression.
The club claims that the name was originally created in honor of Louis Sockalexis, a former player who played for the Cleveland Spiders, a major league club in the 19th century, and that he was a member of the nation of Benoit. Some have suggested that the name Cleveland Spiders should be adopted as an alternative.
Cleveland’s name has long been associated with the chief Wahu symbol. The image was removed from the uniform and the logo was removed from the walls and banners in the stadium. In its place a block of “C” was adopted.
“Our organization fully recognizes our team name in the most visible ways we can connect with the community,” the team’s July report said.