Abstract

There are hundreds of professional and amateur teams throughout the United States that have Native American names (e.g., Chiefs, Redskins, and Blackhawks). Native American symbols, such as arrows, spears, head-dresses, and war paint also continue to feature in the uniforms and branding of many of these teams. Take, for example, the Cleveland Indians who, until 2018, had a caricature of a Native person, referred to as Chief Wahoo, on their hats, jerseys, and batting helmets. This article identifies two opposing sides within the Native mascot debate and uses Social Identity Theory to explain the importance of rituals and symbols in generating a sense of community among sports fans. Social Identity theory provides insights into the reservations that many people have about changing team names, eliminating mascots and rebranding teams. Using data collected at six professional sporting events, this article then tests the efficacy of Social Identity Theory in two ways. The first examines the relationship between respondents’ self-reported degree of sports fandom and their view of the Washington Redskins’ and Cleveland Indians team imagery. The second examines the relationship between the amount of Redskins and Indians team gear that respondents own and their view of the Washington Redskins’ and Cleveland Indians team imagery.