Musings

Embrace the Heritage and Honor that is Inherent and Intentional in the Name Chiefs

James Meeks, UMKC Student

Every team mascot, place or group name intends to enhance the user’s reputation and bring honor.  Every well-meaning use of tribal identity seeks to respect an idea…and if it links to local history, it is even better.  The Kansas City Chiefs got it right 60 years ago…and have recently embraced more involvement with Indian representatives to insure they stay within that honorable framework.  The Chiefs and their fans should continue to celebrate how the names of this organization and its stadium celebrate the virtues and resilience of Native American culture.

Many indigenous peoples’ advocacy groups, including the National Congress of American Indians, call for the elimination of harmful native themed mascots.  The Kansas Board of Education recommends removal of all American Indian themed mascots from Kansas school districts.  They are not wrong to cite studies that confirm the harmful effects of inappropriately managed mascots and representations of Native American peoples and customs.  Mistakes have been and are still being made.  However, the Chiefs are one part of this controversial realm that are doing it right. Eliminating all use of indigenous names and cultural appropriations will only hasten the decline of Native American awareness within public memory. Will this cancellation movement expand beyond sports teams?  Sixteen counties and hundreds of places in Kansas use tribal names or Indian words – do they eventually become offensive, too?

A name is an attempt to link an attribute associated with the power of that idea to the organization that chooses that name.   Not every group gets it right. Times change…the meaning of words and symbols that once were inexplicably acceptable become abhorrent.  Terms like “Redskins”, “Blackies”, “Redmen”, and “Red Raiders” are indefensible as team names – they were intentionally derogatory when they were first used, and nothing prevents any group using them from renaming themselves.  Most teams using those names have already done so…a stubborn too many remain.

Unique to Kansas City is the real story of how “Chiefs” became the name of the former “Texans” when they relocated to Kansas City in 1963.  The mayor at the time, H. Roe Bartle, in his earlier career was head of the Wyoming Boy Scouts.  While there he became linked with the Arapahoe tribe and legend says he was made an honorary “Chief” – which became a nickname.  He went on to create the Mic-O-Say Boy Scout honorary group which has conceptual ties to the “warrior societies” within Plains Indian culture.  In essence, he had bonified interests and respect toward Native Americans and perhaps some recognition from a real tribe.  His outsized personality and political acumen convinced the Dallas owner to move the team to Kansas City.  So, it is plausible that the new team was named the “Chiefs” in his honor. Wince as we might…the links are real…and are honorable in intent…though easy to criticize using a modern lens.

Mascot names seek to symbolize the perceived strength associated with the name.  Names like Knights, Lancers, Warriors, Cavaliers, Saints, Yankees, Braves, Tar Heels, Jayhawks, Hoosiers, Sooners, Celtics, Scots, Indians, Fighting Irish, Vikings, Trojans, Spartans, Generals, Cadets, and Minutemen are all in that category.  Without being mascots, how many of those names would be forgotten?  Choosing a tribal name is especially appropriate if the organization engages with that tribe.  An example includes Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe where they actively manage an ongoing affiliation of respect.  Similarly, Florida State University partners with the unconquered Seminole Tribe of Florida about how their imagery and memory is depicted.  Done right, what better way to honor the spirit of a local tribe?  Alternatively, many tribes are mostly forgotten, like the Munsee, Piankashaw, Quapaw, Kaskasia and Wea that were once locally prominent but didn’t get any teams or places named after them.

The Kansas City Chiefs sponsor an advisory council called the American Indian Community Working Group. It consists of local and national Indian organization representatives to inform the team on use of Native American imagery and appropriate use of cultural symbols.  Sure, it provides a perception of “cover” and has only been in place since 2014.  But it is a forum for dialogue and a real voice that influences how the team can enhance the community’s perception of indigenous culture on a very visible scale.

Kansas City…show respect for our regional heritage by learning where the Indian names around us came from…the real history is a complex, often icky, story that should never be forgotten…learning about and saying their names honors the memory and durability of those cultures.