Just in time for Sunday’s Super Bowl festivities, liberal activists along with culturally sensitive publications like The New York Times and Washington Post are once again fretting over Kansas City Chief Fans wearing Native American headdresses, face paint, costumes with feathers and performing their infamous “tomahawk chop” at this year’s LIV Super Bowl.
In an op-ed article penned in the Kansas City Star, by Professor Rhonda LeValdo, a self-described “Acoma-Pueblo” woman, she writes:
“As an educator, I have done many presentations on the misconceptions about Native American people and the terrible stereotypes that are reinforced by sports mascots that use Native imagery. It is getting exhausting. And every single time it is traumatic, going over the massacres, racism and genocide carried out against the people indigenous to this country.”
LeValdo then describes a conversation she had with a U.S. military veteran, in which she compared “cultural appropriation” to stolen valor.
Stating “I asked him how he feels about people who pretend to be veterans when they are not. That is what the Native headdress equates to: Chiefs went to battle and earned it, much like the medals military veterans earn. He refused to see the correlation,” she wrote.
“Native Americans interviewed in various outlets had mixed reactions regarding whether the tomahawk chop and other modes of “cultural appropriation” by Chiefs fans were offensive.”
LeValdo’s initial question regarding “cultural appropriation” and linking it to “stolen valor” is a fundamentally flawed argument, in that Chief fans aren’t attempting to pass themselves off as real Native Americans, no different than an entertainer on stage performing in full Native American regalia, moreover hundreds of war movies depicting actors throughout the decades of cinema wearing various uniforms from a multitude of different countries pretending to be soldiers, airmen, sea captains, and what-not.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement to The Post.
“I encourage both the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs organization to move away from any and all depictions of Native Americans as mascots, in chants and any other form of team promotion.”
However, according to The Times, a recent Berkeley study by the University of Michigan and the University of California, found that roughly half of Native Americans surveyed said they were not offended by tomahawk chops or the wearing of headdresses.
Moreover, a poll conducted in 2016 found that 9 in 10 Native Americans were not offended by the Washington Redskins’ team name. A similar poll conducted three years in 2019 found similar results.
Ironically the people most offended are progressives on social media, most, of course, wanted to abolish any and all possible “cultural appropriation” from NFL teams.
One apparently offended progressive took to twitter; “I really hope the Chiefs win the Superbowl™…but also…the 21st-century human I am winces at the headdress icon and arrowhead and “tomahawk chop” and the horse named “Warpaint”…and all that old-timey racist stuff.”
— I collect spores, mold & fungus (@Molly Jean) January 30, 2020
And still, another chimed; “I dislike the Tomahawk Chop because it’s dumb and comes from Florida State, & I am not in favor of white dudes appropriating generic Native American dress, but overall, I don’t think the Chiefs branding or traditions are as bad as many – given the history of the region & the name”
— Krown City King (@KrownCityKing) January 30, 2020
One could only imagine how these offended and enlightened progressives would feel watching the 1974 classic “Blazing Saddles, directed by legendary Mel Brooks…I bet they’d laugh under that frown, in that it’s all entertainment.
Tough! Get over it. Go away. Nobody cares what you think.
What a bunch of bull crap
It is funny that more whites are offended than the native people. It is the ignorance of people like the author who stirs the pot so to speak. On many reservations there are teams with many of the SAME names as that in professional sports. In the case of the FSU Seminoles, the Seminole people tell these people to leave FSU alone as it makes people aware of their culture and history. There will always be extremes on both sides, but what next??? No animal names for teams either as it may offend PETA??? Common sense people.
To bad, we won!!!
Once again the LOONEY LEFTIES, Prove what a Pac of DYSFUNCTIONAL TEENS they are!
have Native Americans expressed objection to fans of the Kansas City team or the fans of the Washington Redskins cheering the teams on as they do ?? Instead of these so called progressives objecting lets ask those involved namely Native Americans if they Object . I have never heard anything Negative about it from Native Americans . So stop trying to create a problem where there isn’t one .
Why weren’t these “progressive” (regressive?) fans outraged by Fauxahontas for culturally appropriating her “heritage” when it wasn’t so? Or would that be because she’s “one of them” and one of their two faces approved?
Well, I think it is much ado about nothing. Whether or not a team uses a Native American symbol it is not done to demean the symbol but to celebrate it. I mean if assuming NA clothing or symbols is a sin than it would also be a sin when a NA person puts on a three piece suit. Which is nonsense.
Guess she never studied history BEFORE her people came to the Americas. They also “stole” the land from occupants here before them. Another piss-poor quality educator, explains why our children believe in Socialism.
The United States of the offended. It really is getting old. Too many other concerns in the world to sit and wait for someone to offend them so they can pounce and get their 5 seconds of attention. I have Native American blood in me but I can honestly say that not once did occur to me during the great football game to be offended.
Give me a break …these stinking people will whine about everything…I think its more about them being pissed off cause the 49ers lost and not about the native americans like this teacher is saying …give it a rest democrats
I’m Native American on my paternal father’s Mom. I’m not offended by the Chiefs, the tomahawk chop, etc. Do I think the fans dressed up as a “Chief” or fans doing the tomahawk chop are actually going to kill other fans with a tomahawk and scalp them? Uh, NO!!! You idiots who want to cause trouble where there IS NONE, should sit down, shut up, did I mention SHUT UP??? If you want to actually do SOMETHING, donate your time at a soup kitchen, hand out supplies and blankets to the homeless, give your money to a vetted charity, but for God’s sake, keep your filthy PAWS, OPINIONS, ETC. OFF OF MY HERITAGE!!!
Why can’t people leave others alone?
So what if they wore costumes?
It makes no difference to me.
Not going into history and ban others for being happy that their team won
Get over it !!!
I think it was great.I also think the Washington redskins should never change their name.If it becomes a federal crime,then I would change their logo to a redskin potato,keep the name.Bitch about the chop but say nothing about the tit and ass program at halftime.
Sometimes I think the NFL is really a division of wrestling,they are more entertainment than sport
I am caucasian, have some European blood and I am American Indian. I am very, very proud of my heritage. I am Indian from a very famous person from history. I would also be proud that an NFL team wore headdresses of chiefs of an Indian Nation. It shows our history and the history of America which should never be forgotten. I will say that the disgusting evildoers that are against the headdresses should shut up and mind their own damn heritage and business. Too bad if you don’t like it. I DO! To me it is a sign of respect, not the mockery they are trying to make of it. They don’t own me, nor do they OWN the Kansas City Team. Get some respect and become human again. God knows that too many so called people think they can dictate everything. Damn Dictators, anyway!
LiberL jackasses make everything racist. They are wrong about this and fans don’t bring race into this.
Don’t the progressives have some more important issues to worry about, if not how about these. Democrat controlled cities crime and murder rates going through the roof. San Fran how about hundreds of people living on your streets, defecatinng on the sidewalks, filth, dirty needles everywhere, Seattle similar circumstances.
O no,,,lets worry about tomahawk chop,,o my how awful, you progressives/liberals what ever you call yourselves are just plain out of your minds.
So sick of “ politically correct people, give it a rest!
Many Native Americans take no offense! That statement should say a lot . If 100 people watch an event and 50 take offense and 50 don’t,…who’s right? Who’s wrong? If these were Native Americans watching a Chiefs or Redskins game, some might be bothered, some wouldn’t. There was a time when imitation was a sincere form of flattery if it wasn’t being used to mock or belittle. I see no intended disrespect in either team using the names. In fact, I think it is meant to be a compliment that a team who wants to win and be liked and respected chooses a name like that. Seriously, if they were trying to degrade a people, why would they name themselves after them then? If they win, they hold their name up with pride and honor. Why should that insult anyone? I think cultural appropriation is just an attempt by the PC crowd to cause dissension among everyone. WAKE UP! GROW SOME THICKER SKIN, AND FIND A WORTHY CAUSE TO BE UPSET ABOUT!!!
Give it up and start acting like human beings. Your crowd rather wrap themselves in vagina’s and parade through the streets. Grow up!
If you’re going to write an article about something or someone that offends you, know what you’re talking about. We’re “Chiefs” fans…not “Chief” fans. I’m not going to comment on the history of Native Americans because I’m not a Native American nor am I an expert on the subject. What I DO know is that here in the USA we have the freedom to voice our opinions, cheer on any team we wish to, dress anyway we want and the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS fans can do the Tomahawk Chop wherever they want! If someone is offended, look the other way.
Rhonda LeValdo, get over it. The people are having fun and along comes a “professor” who is offended. You are one of many offended professors and you know what? Most of us don’t care. I scanned the title and name to copy, skimmed the ridiculous article and left. We are really sick and tired of you liberals, socialists, communists.
As a Native American, I find many more things offensive than simply a football team chop. It should be more offensive that the United States still takes our land when they want to by upping land taxes to the point they can no longer be afforded. That the United States feels no injustice over the fact that reservations are in such disrepair and NOTHING is being done about it SHOULD anger the masses. Not a chop. Let’s look at real disgrace, not shade the reality of injustice.
yessiree
white men 1 Indians 0
I AM ACOMA PUEBLO NOT “SELF DESCRIBED” and I have never disclosed who I vote for. I will say for those saying you are Native, I only ask, what have you done for your people, what service have you done to advocate for them, if you haven’t you can not use the fact you are Native to advocate it is okay to be used as a mascot or play Indian. You need to give back to your people before you can say that! No one just says, Oh i am English so I can speak about the Royals, , that is ridiculous! You all need some education and I invite you to my classes at an all Native American school to say why you think it is right to stereotype our people!