'Dehumanizing' and 'racist.' Native leaders decry Braves' 'Tomahawk chop' ahead of World Series game in Atlanta
CNN
Native groups and advocates are demanding that the Atlanta Braves eliminate the "Tomahawk chop" symbol and gesture from its branding and game day traditions, saying the team is perpetuating racist stereotypes as the Braves take the national stage in the World Series.
Leaders from the Native community said this week it's past time for the Braves to join other professional sports teams such as the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Football Team in removing offensive imagery and mascots which they say reduce Native people down to caricatures.
Cleveland, formerly the Indians, and Washington, formerly the Redskins, announced last year they were changing their mascots when the nation faced a reckoning on racism. That reckoning was a catalyst not only for sports teams, but also for companies like Quaker Oats, for example, which changed branding and logos that it believed promoted racist stereotypes.