Native American group protests Chiefs’ namesake on Indigenous Peoples Day

Native American leaders in Kansas City are once again asking the Chiefs to change their name. 

The “Not In Our Honor” Coalition, a Native American group founded by students from the University of Kansas and Haskell University, have been working for quite some time to make Chiefs CEO and president Clark Hunt change his organization’s name. 

The coalition asked people to join them at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night before the Chiefs took on the Las Vegas Raiders to protest, and it comes on Indigenous Peoples Day, to which the Chiefs released a statement. 

“Today the Chiefs organization joins people all across the country in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a chance to honor and celebrate American Indian peoples, histories and cultures,” the statement read. “We continue to have important dialogue with local and national groups to identify ways to educate ourselves and our fans by raising awareness of American Indian communities and their rich traditions. We look forward to celebrating American Indian Heritage Month of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 27, when we take on the Los Angeles Rams.”

The coalition didn’t like what they read. 

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“While we celebrate today, we are also preparing for todays battle! We are still erased in our opinions on the Native Imagery in Sports! How ironic that we have to fight for our voices to be heard on our own day! The KC football team’s message out today on our day is hollow,” the group wrote on their website promoting their protest. “They have never engaged with us or the KC Indian Center (the main non profit that benefits our Native American people in KC). They continue to bastardize our culture with the use of the chop. They do not honor us! Our voices are stifled! Stand in solidarity as we continue this movement to #ChangeTheName #StopTheChop #EndRacismKC.”

Organizers of the protest also asked fans to support their cause by signing a petition to change the name of the Chiefs. 

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The Chiefs did ban headdresses, costumes and face painting that resembles American Indian cultures two seasons ago. 

This hasn’t been the first demonstration at Arrowhead Stadium, as a banner flew during the 2021 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers that said: “Change the Name and Stop the Chop!”

Future protests will come at the rest of the Chiefs’ home games this season. More can be learned about the effort at EndRacismKC.org.