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The Kansas City Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five seasons in Vegas earlier this month. It cemented the franchise as the next NFL dynasty but there has been controversy surrounding the name for decades. Now, the controversy is back in the spotlight due to the comments of an Oscar nominee.
In an interview with Variety, Native American actress Lily Gladstone addressed why the hurt is deeper than the name 'Chiefs' itself:
"There are many ways that you could interpret the name ‘chief.’ It’s not the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn Tomahawk chop. Every time, it’s a stark reminder of what Hollywood has done to us, because the Tomahawk chop directly ties to the sounds of old Westerns where we were not playing ourselves, or if we were, we were merely backdrop actors.
"It’s this ‘claiming’ of that sound and saying it’s in ‘honor’ and the commodification of who we are as people. It’s great to love the game and your players, but it still hurts.”
Lily Gladstone added context to her quote about the team and its name:
The tomahawk is an axe that is native to the Native American people of North America as fans make the chopping motion as they root for the team at games. Kansas City is not the only sports franchise that does the chop. MLB's Atlanta Braves have done the chop for decades and faced controversies over their name.
Washington changed its name from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team until settling on the Washington Commanders in February 2022. It does not seem that Kansas City will follow suit and change its name anytime soon.
How did the Kansas City Chiefs get their name?
The team was named for H. Roe Bartle, who was the mayor of Kansas City from 1955 to 1963. Bartle was nicknamed "Chief" and played a vital role in getting Lamar Hunt's AFL team franchise, the Dallas Texans to move to Kansas City in 1963.
Hunt's franchise needed a new name and longtime Chiefs executive Jack Steadman recommended the name "Chiefs" as an acknowledgment of Bartle's help to move the team to the city.
Exploring Chiefs' history with Native American protests
Most recently, indigenous activists were at this year's Super Bowl to protest its name and get rid of its logo and celebrations they say are disrespectful. It was not the first time that activists were protesting as they were in Glendale, Arizona, last year when the franchise was in a Super Bowl. There were protests outside Arrowhead Stadium during an MNF game last year calling for a change.
Throughout the team's history, it has worked to do away with hurtful imagery and other types of cultural appropriation in its promotional materials and game-day presentations. This is according to the organization's website.
The team leadership started a dialogue with the American Indian Community Working Group in 2014. This is a group of leaders from a diverse group of American Indian communities in Kansas City and its neighboring area.
The team has dealt with matters of cultural appropriation by banning headdresses and face paint at Arrowhead Stadium on game day. It retired Warpaint as an ambassador of the team's brand and as part of the game-day experience.
