Native Americans respond to Washington Commanders’ new polarizing logo
The new Washington Commanders logo, which features a spear, has drawn criticism from Native American organizations and prominent figures in Native American communities.
The team published “new alternative logo” images on their social media accounts on April 15. These images show a spear intertwined with the letter “W” on the team’s helmet. The “W” remains the team’s primary logo.
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“Washington Commanders’ decision to update their logo is disappointing and inappropriate, to say the least,” the Association of American Indian Affairs said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “It is time to stop repeating this cycle and listen to Indigenous Peoples who have a clear, consistent and unwavering stance on this issue: We are not your mascot.”
Washington’s NFL team has faced opposition for decades to the depiction of Native Americans under its former mascot and nickname. The team discontinued use of the mascot and nickname in 2020 and rebranded as the Washington Commanders in 2022.
The caption on one of the team’s social media posts this week reads: “Parts of then and now are tied into one legacy.”
Native American activist Suzan Harjo, who was part of two lawsuits filed to force the team to change its previous mascot and name, said she thought the team was disingenuous, trying to appease people who wanted to bring back the old mascot.
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“There are a lot of people in Washington D.C. (and parts of Virginia and Maryland) who really miss the days of the terrible R-word,” Harjo said, referring to the team’s previous nickname. “That was a disgusting name. One of the most vile ever.”
Regarding the new alternative logo, the team stated that “the Spear and W are intertwined at their center, strongly uniting the past and present.” However, “It symbolizes the leading edge, those leading the battle.” And “A design that captures the forward-focused spirit of the Commander, the leader of warriors.”
Commanders logo: New Commanders’ uniforms feature the alternative ‘Hail Booster’ with spear on helmet
Logo support from critics
Commanders declined to say whether the team consulted with Native Americans on the logo’s design and whether the league deferred to NFL questions about its role in the process. The NFL did not respond to messages seeking comment.
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Becky Clayton-Anderson, president of the Native American Guard Association (NAGA), applauded the design of the new logo.
Clayton-Anderson told USA TODAY Sports that the NAGA was “pleased to see the Washington Commanders include the Native spear in their new logo design.” “It is encouraging to see a small piece of Native imagery being re-represented, honoring the deep connection between Native heritage and America’s sporting traditions.”
But another Native American group and prominent figures in Native American communities said they objected to the new logo.
Not In Our Honor, founded in 2005 by Native American college students to advocate against the use of Native American imagery in sports, said it did not find the logo acceptable or appropriate.
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“They are reversing the right decision to stop Native American cultural appropriation,” Not In Our Honor said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “…The spear on their helmets has no place in the new name and brand.”
Indigenous Maskoke scholar and language teacher Marcus Briggs-Cloud said the logo does not reflect the core values of the Maskoke People, such as love, humility, docility and truthfulness.
“But publicly emphasizing these virtues expressed in our language does not support the desire of some people to promote the image of the angry Native noble savage on American sports arenas,” Briggs-Cloud wrote in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.
Briggs-Cloud also wrote about the new logo: “This image evokes Europeans’ fabricated dreams of noble savagery that reduced Indigenous Peoples to violent identities.”
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Can the logo cause damage?
Social psychologist Stephanie Fryberg, who researches social representations of Native Americans, suggested the new logo would cause harm.
“Reusing imagery and language tied to the team’s old identity is a step backwards,” Fryberg told USA TODAY Sports. “Research has long shown that Indigenous-themed mascots and symbols cause psychological harm, especially to Indigenous youth, by reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to the ongoing erasure of Indigenous peoples in contemporary society….
“True progress means moving beyond harmful representations.”
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Harvard history professor Philip Deloria, whose research and teaching focuses in part on relations between Native American peoples and the United States, said via email that “it is a shame that (Commanders) decided to make this move.”
“They rebranded successfully, so why did they rebrand?” continued Deloria. “Let’s see what they did to us Really “This seems like a gradual resurrection of a history they could have passed if they had wanted to.”
Deloria also spoke out against the team, stating that “the leading edge symbolizes those leading the fight.”
“Symbols don’t work that way,” Deloria wrote. “They are created, communicated and interpreted collectively, not invented by a marketing team. So the phrase is essentially meaningless. …This is just part of a long history of the team making excuses and justifications for what has long been a racist practice.”
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“The spear is alive and well”
The new logo has been integrated into the new alternate uniforms, and Commanders president Mark Clouse addressed the changes in an interview with Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier on his daily afternoon show on 106.7 The Fan (WJFK-FM) in Washington, D.C.
“Well, we certainly had a lot of discussion about the use of the lance and the alternate uniform,” Clouse said. “…And the spear has become a really interesting symbol that you’ve seen us use over the last year on various things and in our marketing. And bringing that to the uniform was really the next logical step.”
Although Clouse did not directly address the criticism of the spear, he did say: “And look, I know we can’t make everyone happy all the time. And what I can say for the fans is, we really listen. We care.”
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But don’t expect the spear to disappear. A Commanders spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports that the logo may be worn as part of new alternate jerseys in four games this season.
“…We’ll continue to find ways to integrate this,” Clouse said. “We love it.”
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Commanders’ new logo sparks backlash from Native American groups
