![]() ![]() ![]() This is the unsanitized truth about American history you probably weren’t taught in school alongside stories of the “noble savage” or fables about peaceful dinners between Natives and Pilgrims on Thanksgiving: European settlers mercilessly raided and killed our people. And every single time it is traumatic to go over the massacres, racism, and genocide carried out against the people indigenous to this country. For years, the national conversation around offensive team mascots that stereotype Native American culture has focused on the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians, while the Kansas City Chiefs flew under the radar.Īs an educator at Haskell Indian Nations University - the only four-year university for federally-recognized Native tribes - I have done many presentations on the misconceptions about Native American people and the terrible stereotypes that are reinforced by sport mascots like the Chiefs. Unfortunately, that also means the Arrowhead Chop will be broadcast on millions of screens across the nation, along with fans in headdresses and all that comes with having a team that has a Native American mascot. This year, my city’s NFL football team, the Chiefs, will be playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. This is just one example of the uncomfortable situations I deal with as an Acoma Pueblo woman living in the Kansas City area. My face got hot and I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest. “They don’t mean anything,” I told him, disgusted and annoyed. It has been updated to reflect this year’s game.Ī self-described lifelong Kansas City Chiefs fan once asked me the meaning of the words that are sung as the crowd performs the “Arrowhead Chop” at Chiefs games, the beloved fan chant made up of a series of literal “ oh oh oh”s. Editor’s note, February 5, 2021: This article was originally published before the 2020 Super Bowl. ![]()
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