The Chief Must Go

Nov. 17, 2000 Editorial

Despite the fact that Larry Dolan, the owner of the Cleveland Indians, has been on the Board of Trustees since last December, it is only just recently that concerns about the offensive nature of Chief Wahoo, the team’s mascot, who takes the form of a degrading characterization of Native American stereotypes, have been publicly voiced. It is vital that Mr. Dolan realizes that as a trustee of the College, he must represent the values of this institution. He should make himself available to students to speak to these concerns or we should insist that he is removed from the Board.
Dolan must be aware that Wahoo is a gross misrepresentation of Native American culture. But perhaps he is like many of his team’s fans and feels somehow that perpetuating the use of this symbol is not racism; rather, it is a memorable symbol of an organization that they love and cherish. Consequently, it is necessary that a dialogue be initiated immediately to inform him that the image promotes a false perception of the Native American community. To continue to justify the logo’s use as part of some sporting tradition would be to continually take the problem further and further from the general public’s grasp and would thus continue to habitualize people to their misconceptions.
Having Dolan as a member of our Board of Trustees can be either a blessing or a curse. If Dolan does not address the issue of Chief Wahoo immediately and work to remove him as the team’s mascot, and the Oberlin community allows him to stay, then we will slip farther from our position as a progressive institution that strives for tolerance of all segments of society. However, if we talk with Dolan about our concerns and are able to change one of popular culture’s most offensive traditions, then we will know that there is someone who is part of our community, shares our ideals and is respected and influential enough to spread these ideals to other parts of society that we normally would not reach.