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The new Commander Washington logo featuring a spear has drawn criticism from Native American organizations and prominent figures in the Native American community.
The team posted an image of a “new alternate logo” on its social media accounts on April 15th. The team’s “W” and intertwined spears are depicted on the helmet. The “W” remains the team’s primary logo.
“Commander Washington’s decision to update the logo is disappointing and inappropriate, to say the least,” the American Indian Affairs Association said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s time to stop this repetition and listen to the voices of Native Americans who have been clear, consistent and unwavering on this issue. We are not mascots.”
For decades, Washington’s NFL team has opposed the depiction of Native Americans in its former mascots and nicknames. The team stopped using the mascot and nickname in 2020 and rebranded to the Washington Commanders in 2022.
One of the team’s social media posts this week had the caption: “Fragments of then and now tied into one heritage.”
Susan Harjo, a Native American activist who participated in two lawsuits aimed at forcing the team to change its old mascot and name, said she thinks the team is being disingenuous and trying to appease those who want to bring back the old mascot.
“There are a lot of people in Washington, D.C. (and parts of Virginia and Maryland) who long for the days of the dreaded R-word,” Harjo said, referring to the team’s previous nickname, “which was a mean name.” It was one of the most despicable things ever. ”
Regarding the new alternate logo, the team said, “The spear and W are interwoven at the center, creating a powerful connection between past and present,” and “the tip of the spear symbolizes those who lead the fight,” and “the design captures the positive spirit of the warrior leader and commander.”
Logo support amidst criticism
Managers declined to say whether the team consulted Native Americans on the logo design and referred questions about the league’s role in the process to the NFL, which did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Becky Clayton Anderson, president of the Native American Guardian Association (NAGA), praised the new logo design.
“We are pleased that Washington’s commanders have incorporated the Native American spear in the new logo design,” Clayton Anderson said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “It is heartening to see a small part of Native American imagery represented once again, celebrating the deep connections between Native American traditions and America’s sports traditions.”
But other Native American groups and other prominent figures in the Native American community said they opposed the new logo.
Not In Our Honor, a group formed in 2005 by Native American college students to oppose the use of Native American imagery in sports, said the logo was unacceptable and inappropriate.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports, Not in Our Honor said, “They are backing away from the right decision to stop the appropriation of Native American culture. … There is no room for a new name and brand on the spear of their helmet.”
Indigenous Muskoke scholar and language teacher Marcus Briggs-Cloud said the logo did not reflect the core values of the Muskoke people, such as love, humility, meekness and truth.
“However, publicly emphasizing these virtues expressed in our language does not support the desire of some to uphold the image of noble savagery of Native Americans raging in American sports arenas,” Briggs-Cloud wrote in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports.
Briggs-Cloud also wrote that the new logo “recalls European-conceived fantasies of noble savages that reduce indigenous peoples to an identity rooted in violence.”
Can logos cause harm?
Social psychologist Stephanie Freiberg, whose research focuses on social representations of Native Americans, suggested the new logo would be harmful.
“Reintroducing images and language tied to the team’s former identity is a step backwards,” Freiberg said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “Research has long shown that Indigenous-themed mascots and symbols cause psychological harm, especially among Indigenous youth, by reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to the continued erasure of Indigenous people in modern society…”
“True progress means moving beyond harmful rhetoric.”
“It’s unfortunate that (the commander) took this action,” Philip Deloria, a Harvard history professor whose research and teaching focuses in part on the U.S. relationship with American Indian peoples, said in an email.
“They rebranded successfully, so why rebrand again?” Deloria continued. Really It looks like a history that they could have gotten over if they wanted to is slowly being revived. ”
Deloria also disagreed with the team, saying, “The tip of the spear is a symbol of those who lead the battle.”
“Symbols don’t work like that. They are collectively created, communicated, and interpreted; they are not invented by marketing teams,” Deloria wrote. Therefore, the statement is essentially meaningless. …It’s just part of a long history of teams creating excuses and justifications for what has long been racist behavior. ”
“The spear is still alive.”
The new logo will be integrated into the new alternate uniforms, and Commanders Chairman Mark Close mentioned the change in an interview with Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouyer on the Daily Afternoon Show on 106.7 The Fan (WJFK-FM) in Washington, D.C.
“Well, we certainly had a lot of discussions about the use of the spear and alternate uniforms. … And the spear has just become a very interesting icon that you’ve seen us use in different things and marketing over the last year,” Close said. And incorporating that into the uniform was the next logical step. ”
Close did not directly address the criticism of Spears, but said, “Look, we know we can’t always make everyone happy. And what I can tell our fans is, we’re really listening. We care.”
But don’t expect the spear to disappear. The logo will be worn as part of the new alternate uniforms for four games this season, a spokesperson for the manager told USA TODAY Sports. Close said in a radio interview that the design will also be featured on team merchandise.
“…We continue to look for ways to integrate it. We love it,” he said.
(This article has been updated with additional information.)
