THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AND INDIGENOUS IMAGERY IN SPORTS
By Gemma Raines THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
• Iconography- Sports imagery plays a massive role in establishing “us v them narratives.” • Critical Race Theory- Racists stereotypes as presented through visual images and cultural appropriation and commodification. • Psychological Analysis- Understanding how an audience interprets an image A BRIEF INTRODUCTION INTO SPORTS IMAGERY
• Founded in 1926 • Owner Frederic McLaughlin chose the name after his World War 1 333rd Machine Gun Battalion • Sauk war general Black Hawk
THE EVOLUTION OF THE IMAGE
Original Logo Evolution INDIGENOUS IMAGERY IN SPORTS
• “We chose the Chicago Blackhawks logo as the best in the NHL because it represents everything this competition is about. It is instantly recognizable, has universal appeal and has inspired countless imitations. The logo itself has an unwavering sense of pride and duty to it and looks great on a jersey or hat. It is truly one of the classics in all of sport.” - Ryan Kennedy, author of Hockey News article “Blackhawks Logo Voted Number 1 in NHL” Other Examples of Indigenous Imagery in Sports
Atlanta Braves Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Thunderbirds Washington Redskins* (2018-Present) (1972-Present) (1997- Present) (1983-2019)
Atlanta Braves Frölunda Indians Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes Edmonton Eskimos* (1985-86) (1996-Present * Currently Transitioning Team Name ) (1996-2003) (1998-Present) RECLAMATION AND CALLS FOR CHANGE
• Julia Kelly, a cultural advisor for the Trickster Cultural Centre in Schaumburg, Illinois and a member of Apsaalooke Nation is a passionate fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, and wears the logo with pride • First Nations artists Mike Ivall recreated the logo with a literal hawk, stating “I Know how some natives are a little against the native imagery … so I thought, ‘Lets just try something out’” RECLAMATION AND CALLS FOR CHANGE
• “ It bugs the baloney out of me I’ve got to look at something that’s pretty offensive when I go to hockey games because I absolutely love it” – Heather Miller, Wyandotte Nation ARTWORK ACTIVISM
• Artists Santiago X of the Coushatta tribe of Louisiana (Koasati) and the Chamorro people of Guam (Hacha’maori) expresses this with his depiction of a traditional indigenous mound art made from Blackhawks jersey DECOLONIZING SPORTS IMAGERY
• Spaces for indigenous fans • Dismantling of stereotypes and cultural appropriation of indigenous images • Acknowledgement of why the removal occurred • Image depicts Chicago Blackhawks statue vandalism with quotes “Land Back,” No Racists Mascot,” and “zhigaagoong” which refers to the land around Chicago Image Credit to twitter user @zhigaagoong
IN CONCLUSION
• How do we go forward? • What is the next step? • How does the logo make you feel? Do you think it should be removed? IN ADDITION: FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
• Change hockey by targeting inclusivity based programs such as: Hockey Cares, First Nations Hockey, Hockey Diversity Alliance, Black Girl Hockey Club
• Scholarship and research from Dr. Courtney Szto and Jashvina Shaw IMAGES CITED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
• Chicago Blackhawks Logo, SPORTSLOGOS.NET, https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/56/Chicago_Blackhawks/2000/Primary_Logo.
• Carey Lauder, James, USA TODAY Sports, https://www.secondcityhockey.com/2020/10/29/21532271/what-the-2022-23-chicago-blackhawks-roster-could-look-like-kane-toews-dach-boqvist-kubalik-prospects.
• Chicago Black Hawks Logo, SPORTSLOGOS.NET, https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/6692/Chicago_Black_Hawks/1927/Primary_Logo.
• CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS LOGO, 1000 LOGOS, https://1000logos.net/blackhawks-logo/.
• Atlanta Braves, SPORTSLOGOS.NET, https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/5171502018/Atlanta_Braves/2018/Primary_Logo.
• Atlanta Braves Logo ,stickpng, https://www.stickpng.com/img/sports/baseball/major-league-baseball-mlb/atlanta-braves/atlanta-braves-logo.
• Kansas City Chiefs, Wikimedia Commons, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Chiefs#/media/File:Kansas_City_Chiefs_logo.svg.
• Frölunda Indians, Wikimedia Commons, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kansas_City_Chiefs_logo.svg.
• Seattle Thunderbirds, Wikimedia Commons, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Thunderbirds#/media/File:Seattle_Thunderbirds_logo.svg.
• Arizona Coyotes, Wikimedia Commons, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Coyotes#/media/File:PHXold.svg.
• Washington Redskins Logo, logos-world, https://logos-world.net/washington-redskins-logo/.
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• Ivall, Mike, Blackhawks Logo. 2015. Digital media. https://chicagoist.com/2015/11/19/culturally_appropriate_blackhawks_l.php.
• Sandford, Dave. The Athletic/ Getty Images, https://theathletic.com/1917248/2020/07/09/greenberg-if-i-were-president-of-the-blackhawks-this-is-what-id-write/.
• “Burial Mount,” Blackhawks jerseys, projection, sound. 2019. University of Illinois, Chicago/Photo: Santiago X. https://design.newcity.com/2019/09/19/chicago-architecture-biennial-re-appropriation-of- misappropriation-in-the-work-of-santiago-x/.
• “good morning, zhigaagoong” @zhigaagoong/Twitter. Oct. 12, 2020. https://twitter.com/zhigaagoong/status/1315560484188434432.
• @NHL/ Twitter, Nov. 16, 2020. https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1328352464395964416.
• “Have this adidas #ReverseRetro Jersey on your mind?”@Blackhawks Store/Twitter, Nov 21, 2020. https://twitter.com/BlackhawksStore/status/1330147910273683460.
• Hockey Diversity Alliance, Hoodie ”Change Hockey Culture,” https://www.gobardown.com/products/hockey-diversity-alliance-hoody. WORKS CITED
• “About,” Jashvina Shah, https://jashvinashah.com/about/.
• “About,” Native Hockey, https://nativehockey.com/about/.
• Ben Pope, “ Blackhawks statue outside of United Centre vandalized,” The Chicago Sun Times, October 12, 2020. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/10/12/21513731/blackhawks-statue-united-center-vandalized-native-americans- zhigaagoong
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• Dawson, Bob and Michael Mahkwa Auksi, Sam McKegney, Courtney Szto, “Policy Paper for Anti-Racism and Canadian Hockey,” https://hockeyinsociety.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/policypaper_anti- racisminhockey_execsummary_final.pdf
• “Ending the Era of Harmful ‘Indian’ Mascots,” NCAI. https://www.ncai.org/proudtobe.
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• Margaret Carrigan, “One Mound at a Time: Native American artist Santiago X on rebuilding Indigenous cities,” The Art Newspaper, September 20, 2019, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/interview/native-american-artist-santiago-x-on- rebuilding-indigenous-cities-one-mound-at-a-time.
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• Steven Inskeep, “Less Offensive Than the Redskins?” The Atlantic, June 19, 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/blackhawks-redskins-name/396356/.