Cherokeeler, one of the indigenous people of the USA, called for a name change to the 'Cherokee' model of the car brand Jeep. “It's time to stop using the names, symbols, and images of the Native American peoples,” tribal chief Chuck Hoskin said.
A call to 'stop using our name' came from Cherokee, one of the indigenous people in the USA, to the car brand Jeep, which has been using their names for many years. Tribal chief Chuck Hoskin said companies and sports teams should not use the names of native American peoples. Hoskin said, "I am sure this is well-intentioned, but it does not honor us to have our name attached to the side of a car."
'NAME HAS BEEN SELECTED CAREFULLY'
Kristin Starnes, spokesperson of Stellantis, the owner of the Jeep brand, said that the name 'Cheeroke', which has been used since the 1970s, was "carefully chosen to respect the nobility and courage of the native American people." However, he did not make a statement about the name change.
'KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR CULTURE'
“The best way to honor us is to learn about our sovereign government, our role in this country, our history, our culture, and our language, and to engage in a meaningful dialogue with federally recognized tribes on culture plundering,” said Hoskin, chief of the Oklahoma-based Tahlequah tribe. "And it's time for sports teams to stop using the names, symbols and images of Native American peoples on products and jerseys."
NAME DISCUSSION IN USA SPORTS
The use of the names of Native American peoples by sports teams in the USA has been on the agenda in recent years under the heading of 'cultural predation'. Washington Redskins, one of the teams of the US National Football League (NFL), announced that the name will be changed to 'Washington Football Team' in 2020, following the pressure from the public. The Cleveland Indians, one of the teams of the US National Baseball League, announced last year that they would change their name. (Gazerwall)
