The team had originally spelt its name as the Black Hawks but changed it in 1986. Via Fox News, “Chicago Blackhawks to keep name, vow change through dialogue: ‘There is a fine line between respect and disrespect'”: The pressure is on for a number of professional sports teams to change their names amid a national focus on race relations, but the Chicago Blackhawks are taking a different approach to raising awareness. “We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation,” the Hawks said. While teams like the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians have issued statements of their own considering a name change, the Blackhawks are defending theirs. Chicago Blackhawks Won't Change Name, Promise Dialogue Instead - Chicago, IL - Critics say the team's name and logo play into racist stereotypes against … "Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people. Not a big deal. In 1986, the Chicago’s professional hockey team changed and simplified its name from two words to one: Black Hawks to Blackhawks. It comes as the Washington Redskins is under pressure to change its name. CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Blackhawks say they will continue to use their team name because it honors a Native American leader who has been an inspiration to generations. Amr Alfiky/Associated Press The Chicago Blackhawks last week took criticism for their refusal to change their team name and logo. 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Chicago Blackhawks Commit to Keeping Their Name. The Chicago Blackhawks' Indian Head logo has recently come under the public's microscope with the news of the Washington Redskins dropping their team name and logo and the Cleveland Indians also exploring a new name. Earlier in December, the Cleveland Indians made the decision to change its team name following the 2021 season. They remind critics that the Wirtz family and business organization, which owns the team, has interacted with Native American organizations, made donations and lent the United Center as a venue where fans can be educated about Native culture. Why the Chicago Blackhawks have no plans to change their name. This would be a great time for that to go forward,” said Dorene Wiese, president of the American Indian Association of Illinois who has worked to change mascots, including those at Lane Tech High School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Not a big deal. I played pickup hockey at makeshift rinks all through my teens. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. It proclaims that it has no plans to change its moniker and emblem because these “honor” a real life Native American: “The Chicago Blackhawks’ … … What ultimately causes their arguments to vaporize, just as they did in Cleveland and Washington, is the unalterable historical truth, related in this case by James Lewis, an associate professor of history at Kalamazoo College, and whose detailed account I paraphrase: The American government broke its treaty promises to the Sauk and Fox nation in 1830, after which the U.S. Cavalry massacred nearly 400 men, women and children in the Battle of Bad Axe, and subsequently paraded through the streets with a captured Chief Black Hawk in tow, showing off their victory trophy much the way the team has done after it won the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks have worked with the American Indian Center(AIC) to help inform their community and fan base by sharing Native American culture and history. "We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation," the team said. The Chicago Blackhawks have been named the Blackhawks since 1926 when the team was formed. Speaking publicly for the first time since baseball’s Cleveland Indians announced Monday they plan to change their name, Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz reiterated the same message the team shared this summer after lingering questions about Native American team names … "We celebrate Black Hawk's legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. The Blackhawks, who are named after Sac and Fox Nation warrior Black Hawk, issued a statement late Tuesday addressing their stance on changing the name. These other teams could be next, Cleveland Indians are also discussing the possibility of changing the team name. He would call the team The Chicago Black Hawks (it would later become Blackhawks in 1986). Team ownership, of course, wants to keep the colorful Indian head on its hockey sweaters. Still, I never noticed the change in the spelling and capitalization of its name, which is very probably true of most other fans. The Chicago Blackhawks contend its nickname actually honors a real life Native American, and the team has no plans to make any changes to its name and logo. But not all of them. The Hawks … For the descendants of these same white Americans to show off a facsimile of that trophy on their uniforms, helmets and pricey tickets, claiming that today, however, it is an honor for the chief, is the height of irony and an egregious insult to Indigenous Americans. It’s an opportune time to do so, since the U.S. Senate has just confirmed Deb Haaland as secretary of the Interior, the first Native American in history to hold a cabinet post. The Chicago Blackhawks, a historic Original Six franchise released a statement to the Chicago Sun Times that they will not be changing their name. Real ID and expired license backlog — but mostly COVID-19 — create long lines at driver services facilities. CHICAGO—The Chicago Blackhawks say … With the NFL's Washington Redskins facing significant public pressure to change their name and logo, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to get in front of any controversy should people be offended by their name and logo. Amr Alfiky / Associated Press The Chicago Blackhawks this week took criticism for their refusal to change their team name and logo. The team's logo, largely unchanged since 1959-60, is of a large Native American head with feather headdress and face paint. Scott Sypolt, Executive Counsel for the American Indian Center weighed in on the logo and name controversy by stating, "There is a consensus among us that there's a huge distinction between a sports team called the Redskins depicting native people as red, screaming, ignorant savages and a group like the Blackhawks honoring Black Hawk, a tru… In fact, I never noticed, and I had been a rabid fan since the 1960s. During that same period, I read the Blackhawks’ box score the morning after every game, feeling good when they won and not terribly bad when they lost, as long as No. The Chicago Tribune opinion section publishes op-eds from readers and experts about specific issues of the day. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images) The NHL's Chicago team has no intention of putting their team name on ice. The Chicago Blackhawks have no plans to change its team name. It's time to change the name and logo of the Chicago Blackhawks, writes David McGrath in an op-ed. ", The Washington Redskins announced last week that they will review its name. by Jimmy Lynch 3 months ago Follow @jimrlynch. Say, for instance, the red-tailed hawk, common in Illinois, which would then not necessitate changing the team’s colors. In fact, I … With the Washinton Redskins being pushed to change their team name, it begs the question, will the Chicago Blackhawks be pushed to do the same?. The Chicago Blackhawks first joined the NHL in 1926, and it got its team name from owner Frederic McLaughlin, who was a commander during World War II serving under the 86th Infantry Division. Op-eds reflect the views of the writer and not necessarily the Chicago Tribune. A written statement … No amount of donations or Native American workshops at the United Center can rewrite the history or bury the implications of that Indian head’s continued display on the jerseys of all those young athletes. ", The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation had previously partnered with the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC) to educate the public about American Indians, but the AIC ended that agreement in 2019, citing the perpetuation of "harmful stereotypes. Like they did after the Washington Football Team removed Redskins from … They proffer the same old arguments that Cleveland and Washington use to trot out, pleading that the hockey team’s name is meant to honor Chief Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sauk and Fox nation. Tweet; Share; x; Pin; Comment; The Chicago Blackhawks … Chicago Blackhawks standing firm on team name. “The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,” the … Author: Associated Press … But the Blackhawks have no plans to change their name or logo, one of the most recognized and popular in professional sports. CNN's David Close and Eric Levenson contributed to this report. And if instead of the head of an Indian person with war paint and feathers, they changed the logo and mascot to that of a literal winged bird? Sign up here. As the team's popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.". The pro hockey team put out a statement on Friday confirming that they are sticking with their name. The team says it’s working to expand its efforts to “honor and celebrate” Black … The Washington Redskins are officially the Washington Football Team until a new and nonderogatory name is agreed upon. The Blackhaws are named after the Sauk leader Black Hawk. "The Chicago Blackhawks' name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public," the team said in a statement. I knew his height, weight, girth of his biceps and the speed of his slap shot, which had been clocked at precisely 118.3 mph. Chicago Blackhawks won't change name, says it honors namesake . Scott Powers of The Athletic wrote a piece on June 25 exploring thoughts on the Hawks' logo and diving into its history. Ask Amy: Newly married couple nurses gift-grudge. They’ve changed their name slightly, with them starting as the “Black Hawks” until the 1980s when they changed it to one full name. Instead, an invitation to Secretary Haaland to drop the ceremonial puck at the first playoff game of the Chicago Hawks this spring, or at the season opener of, perhaps, the Chicago Red-Tails next fall, might provide the only salve, and the only resolution, to a city embarrassment that will otherwise never end. 9, superstar Bobby Hull, was in the scoring column. By The Associated Press. read. The Chicago Blackhawks have no plans to change its team name. Chicago Blackhawks not changing team name The Chicago Blackhawks, a historic Original Six franchise, released a statement to the Chicago Sun Times that they will not change their name. Chicago Blackhawks Will Not Change Team Name Lauryn Overhultz 12/18/2020 US coronavirus: Here's why experts say the US may be fooled by improving Covid-19 … So if in 2021, in the middle of the season, or at the end of the playoffs, which the Blackhawks may still manage to squeeze into, would it be that big a deal if they shortened their name to simply the “Hawks”? The National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks decided in … After learning to skate on a frozen pond in a vacant lot behind the Martinique Restaurant in Evergreen Park, I improved my skill at Michael Kirby’s Ice Rink on the city’s South Side. Chicago is one of the NHL’s original six franchises and has been playing in the league since 1926 along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. In 1986, the Chicago’s professional hockey team changed and simplified its name from two words to one: Black Hawks to Blackhawks. The Chicago Blackhawks have again committed to keeping their more than 60-year-old name despite pressure from activists to make a change. Biden shouldn’t disarm, Op-ed: Congress can help reduce gun violence by empowering more community peacekeepers, Op-ed: Post-pandemic, some millennials finally decide to start #adulting. The Chicago Blackhawks are going to remain the Blackhawks and there is no sign of a change coming anytime soon. His skating speed was the league’s fastest at 29.2 mph. No amount of "donations or Native American workshops at the United Center can rewrite the history or bury the implications of that Indian head." And after decades of protests and complaints about the stereotyping and dehumanizing that results from sports teams’ use of logos, mascots and names based on Native Americans, hundreds of high schools, colleges and pro teams have eliminated offensive monikers. (CNN)With pressure mounting on the NFL's Washington Redskins to change its team name due to its racist connotations, an NHL team also under scrutiny is standing behind its name. The, Washington Redskins to change its team name, The Washington Redskins are reviewing their name. The Blackhawks, who are named after Sac and Fox Nation warrior Black Hawk, issued a statement late Tuesday addressing their stance on changing the name. The University of Illinois banished the Chief Illiniwek mascot portrayed by a white student in a sacred tribal costume, dancing around the stadium in a halftime choreography that looked to be part Britney Spears strut, part shaman incantation. Get our latest editorials, op-eds and columns, delivered twice a week in our Fighting Words newsletter. (CNN) With pressure mounting on the NFL's Washington Redskins to change its … It was nicknamed "Blackhawk Division" after Chief Black Hawk. Members of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate a goal on March 11, 2020, in Chicago. David McGrath formerly taught Native American literature at College of DuPage and is author of “South Siders.”. The statement comes after the NFL’s Redskins and MLB’s Indians announced their intentions last week to consider changing their Native American names and logos. Chicago Blackhawks to keep name, vow change through dialogue: 'There is a fine line between respect and disrespect' The Blackhawks are one … The Chicago Blackhawks stand for the national anthem before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on Jan. 29, 2021. Tue., July 7, 2020 timer 1 min. The name “Black Hawks” was also the nickname of … The Cleveland Indians dumped its cartoonish Chief Wahoo and is considering new names, including an earlier name, the Cleveland Spiders, according to an ESPN report last December. 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