By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher The Cleveland Indians are no more. The team will announce this week that the franchise will have a new name for the 2021 MLB season. The team previously said this summer that they would investigate changing their name. Now, almost six months later since the July announcement, a change is forthcoming. What will the new name be? We do not know yet. People have been protesting the Indians logo for several years. The team has been known as the Cleveland Indians since 1915. Before becoming the Indians, the team was known as Cleveland Naps. Following the 2019 season, the team moved on from the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniform. Instead of using that logo, the team went to a “C” on their uniform. “This is the culmination of decades of work,” the Oneida Nation of New York, which led the Change the Mascot Movement, said in a statement to ESPN. “Groups like the National Congress of American Indians passed resolutions for decades on this, social science has made clear these names are harmful and Cleveland got out in front of it and they’re leading, and rather than having this hanging over their heads, they’re charting a new path.” To some people, the word “Indians” is racist. With the social justice movement this summer — that was only supported by Democrats and not Republicans — the team felt like it was the perfect time to finally change their name. The team began using Chief Wahoo in 1947. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that people began protesting the team’s logo and name. Chief Wahoo was retired by the team at the conclusion of the 2016 World Series. The Chicago Cubs ended their season in Game 7 of the World Series. For decades, the team said the name was ‘part of their tradition.’ And they insisted that the name was not disparaging to Native Americans. Former team owner Charles Somers picked the name Indians to replace Naps. The legend of why the nickname was chosen because the team wanted to honor Louis Sockalexis, a Native American, who played for the Cleveland Spiders. However, over time, that legend has been discredited, especially since the discrimination against Native Americans in general. Speaking of Native Americans, the Washington Redskins were forced to change their name this summer, as well. The team went from calling itself the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team. The franchise is expected to make a change at the end of the season. However, the speculation at least right now, is that the team will likely keep the Washington Football Team moniker as their name moving forward.
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