[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I'm obviously biased as a Chiefs fan, however, I fail to see the Kansas City Chiefs as a racist name or image. The Chiefs quit using cartoon images of native americans on their game day programs in the early 1960's. They stopped using a horse ridden by a guy wearing a headdress back in 1980.

Where is the line between incensitivity and freedom of speach and expression? Is it ok to dress like a native american for Halloween? Why is it ok to dress like a Viking and not a native american? Or is it wrong to dress like a Viking at a football game? What if a native american dresses as a Viking, what is that considered?

I'll mark you down as an "old guy" who can't change.

“The old guys you see out there now at games (in headdresses), they’re not going to change,” Learned says. “They’re stuck. But the new fans, the ones who are going to be fans 20 years down the road, that’s who it will affect. We feel very strongly that with education and us working together (with the Chiefs) that there will be a better understanding of why some things that have happened in the recent past we feel are disrespectful.”

I guess using a real war drum might be better but they would still be using it as a way to hype the crowd, not what it is made for.

Well, the war drum represents something very different than crowd hype to a lot of American Indians. The Chiefs didn’t mean to offend anyone with this, of course. They just didn’t know. They could have used some guidance, and this is one of the points Learned made to Donovan and Chapin.
“I told Mark, ‘I could’ve helped you with this,’” Learned says.
Learned suggested the Chiefs go to a local tribe, with respect, and ask for a real drum to be made. Bring that drum to Arrowhead. Have a blessing. Show your fans this is something very sacred to Indians. Help them understand why you’re doing this. Have men from the tribe come in and play a real hymn and sing.