(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 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 … In fact, I … Author: Associated Press … (CNN) With pressure mounting on the NFL's Washington Redskins to change its … The, Washington Redskins to change its team name, The Washington Redskins are reviewing their name. Op-eds reflect the views of the writer and not necessarily the Chicago Tribune. Blackhawks: Division name change shows just how wacky this year will be. "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. It was nicknamed "Blackhawk Division" after Chief Black Hawk. 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. It comes as the Washington Redskins is under pressure to change its 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. He would call the team The Chicago Black Hawks (it would later become Blackhawks in 1986). The Chicago Blackhawks stand for the national anthem before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on Jan. 29, 2021. Chicago Blackhawks won't change name, says it honors namesake . As the team's popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.". Real ID and expired license backlog — but mostly COVID-19 — create long lines at driver services facilities. Not a big deal. Tweet; Share; x; Pin; Comment; The Chicago Blackhawks … “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. 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. The Chicago Blackhawks have been named the Blackhawks since 1926 when the team was formed. Yet money the Wirtzes spend in that capacity is chicken feed when weighed against the enormous profits they derive from name branding, with which they are loath to tamper. A written statement … The name “Black Hawks” was also the nickname of … The Washington Redskins are officially the Washington Football Team until a new and nonderogatory name is agreed upon. by Jimmy Lynch 3 months ago Follow @jimrlynch. 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. Amr Alfiky/Associated Press The Chicago Blackhawks last week took criticism for their refusal to change their team name and logo. The National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks decided in … 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. But not all of them. Team ownership, of course, wants to keep the colorful Indian head on its hockey sweaters. The Chicago Blackhawks have no plans to change its team name. 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. 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 … The Chicago Blackhawks Make It Clear There Will Be No Name Change by Mike Thomas on July 10, 2020 There has been a lot of talk recently about changing the nicknames of … 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. Chicago Blackhawks Won't Change Name, Promise Dialogue Instead - Chicago, IL - Critics say the team's name and logo play into racist stereotypes against … His skating speed was the league’s fastest at 29.2 mph. It's time to change the name and logo of the Chicago Blackhawks, writes David McGrath in an op-ed. No amount of "donations or Native American workshops at the United Center can rewrite the history or bury the implications of that Indian head." 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. 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. The Hawks … 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. 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? 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. 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. "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. The pro hockey team put out a statement on Friday confirming that they are sticking with their name. The Chicago Blackhawks, a historic Original Six franchise released a statement to the Chicago Sun Times that they will not be changing their name. I played pickup hockey at makeshift rinks all through my teens. 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. 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 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. The team had originally spelt its name as the Black Hawks but changed it in 1986. 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 … 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. 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 Chicago Blackhawks have no plans to change its team name. 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 1986, the Chicago’s professional hockey team changed and simplified its name from two words to one: Black Hawks to Blackhawks. The team says it’s working to expand its efforts to “honor and celebrate” Black … Scott Powers of The Athletic wrote a piece on June 25 exploring thoughts on the Hawks' logo and diving into its history. 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?. Chicago Blackhawks standing firm on team name. 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. Get our latest editorials, op-eds and columns, delivered twice a week in our Fighting Words newsletter. These other teams could be next, Cleveland Indians are also discussing the possibility of changing the team name. The Chicago Blackhawks are going to remain the Blackhawks and there is no sign of a change coming anytime soon. 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 Blackhawks, who are named after Sac and Fox Nation warrior Black Hawk, issued a statement late Tuesday addressing their stance on changing the name. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Most importantly, local Native organizations such as the American Indian Center of Chicago and the Chi-Nations Youth Council continue to call on the Blackhawks to end the stereotyping, along with the memorializing of white exploitation of Native Americans by the Blackhawks’ name and logo. Earlier in December, the Cleveland Indians made the decision to change its team name following the 2021 season. Still, I never noticed the change in the spelling and capitalization of its name, which is very probably true of most other fans. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images) The NHL's Chicago team has no intention of putting their team name on ice. But the Blackhawks have no plans to change their name or logo, one of the most recognized and popular in professional sports. The Blackhaws are named after the Sauk leader Black Hawk. read. Chicago Blackhawks Commit to Keeping Their Name. Members of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate a goal on March 11, 2020, in Chicago. 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. Amr Alfiky / Associated Press The Chicago Blackhawks this week took criticism for their refusal to change their team name and logo. Ask Amy: Newly married couple nurses gift-grudge. 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. 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. By The Associated Press. Say, for instance, the red-tailed hawk, common in Illinois, which would then not necessitate changing the team’s colors. 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"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. It proclaims that it has no plans to change its moniker and emblem because these “honor” a real life Native American: “The Chicago Blackhawks’ … The Chicago Blackhawks have again committed to keeping their more than 60-year-old name despite pressure from activists to make a change. 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. , was in the scoring column into its history columns, delivered twice a week in our Fighting newsletter... 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