Tomahawk Chop
The tomahawk chop was one of the favorite chants of the MLB organization the Atlanta Braves. Due to the many references to Native Americans in the team outline, name and logo. This chant features fans, holding red foam tomahawks, to chop at the air in a downward motion, almost in an act of harm or killing. It also includes a thumping backing track, prompting fans to do this motion. However, there has been a lot of controversy coinciding with this action. While many Braves fans enjoy this long standing tradition, many people of Native American descent/origin believe it is the wrong way to interpret Native American tradition and people.
While the MLB playoffs have gone on, the series between the Cardinals and the Braves has been great for many fans and players. However, while this is the case with them, it isn’t the case for Cardinals rookie pitcher Ryan Helsley. Helsley is of Native American descent, and while the chants of the tomahawk are going on, he has to sit in the dugout and ignore the stereotyping. However, after game 4 of the series, he spoke out against the chant exclaiming, “It depicts Native Americans in an unintelligent and almost caveman like way. We are much more than that.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/09/sports/baseball/atlanta-braves-tomahawk-chop-helsley.html
While many fans disagree with the statement, they really have no argument on why it isn’t everything Helsley has said. For the rest of the series, the Braves organization stopped giving out foam tomahawks and has stopped playing the backing track, limiting the stereotyping of not only Native American players, but Native American people as well. For more information, visit the New York Times website on the subject.
While the MLB playoffs have gone on, the series between the Cardinals and the Braves has been great for many fans and players. However, while this is the case with them, it isn’t the case for Cardinals rookie pitcher Ryan Helsley. Helsley is of Native American descent, and while the chants of the tomahawk are going on, he has to sit in the dugout and ignore the stereotyping. However, after game 4 of the series, he spoke out against the chant exclaiming, “It depicts Native Americans in an unintelligent and almost caveman like way. We are much more than that.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/09/sports/baseball/atlanta-braves-tomahawk-chop-helsley.html
While many fans disagree with the statement, they really have no argument on why it isn’t everything Helsley has said. For the rest of the series, the Braves organization stopped giving out foam tomahawks and has stopped playing the backing track, limiting the stereotyping of not only Native American players, but Native American people as well. For more information, visit the New York Times website on the subject.
From Max:“This is a great topic to talk about. This isn’t just a baseball issue, but a nationwide issue in the world of sports. The Redskins, Blackhawks, and Braves have all been under fire for this exact same situation.”
ReplyDeleteNice post, Luke. This is one of the first times in my memory that a sports organization actually stopped a practice this quickly based upon feedback from a player.
ReplyDeleteI heard about this in the news recently and was very surprised that the Brave decided to stop doing their famous chant in the middle of the postseason. It seemed like such a weird time to change up their stance on the subject. I understand why some Native Americans find this offensive and I am interested t see if the Braves abolish their chant for good next season. I wonder if the other organizations will follow if they do.
ReplyDelete