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Stereotypes, Native Americans and Sports in the United States: A Tale of Two Teams.
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- The use of Native American imagery by American professional sports teams has long been supported by stereotypical representations of Native Americans. These sports portrayals often depict Native Americans as “People of the Past”, “Bloodthirsty Warriors”, and “Noble Savages”. While past research has already examined the effects and perceptions of these representations among both Native and non-Native Americans, to our knowledge, the potential correlation between the use and perception of stereotypes and the decisions behind a team’s rebranding has not yet been explored. In recent years, under pressure and protest, several sports teams have opted to change their imagery. Notably, the Washington R-skins rebranded as the Washington Commanders. Despite some teams acknowledging the racist nature of these stereotypical portrayals, many have resisted change. For instance, the Kansas City Chiefs, despite widespread controversy, have retained their name and logo. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, our study aims at answering the following question: “why, after almost a century of using a name and symbols considered controversial and offensive, did the Washington Commanders decide to review them while the Chiefs didn’t?” Using table analysis and survey data, we examine how the use and perception of stereotypes influenced the rebranding decisions of the referenced teams. Our findings reveal that the Washington R-skins’ rebranding decision was driven by the higher perceived offensiveness and public pressure related to their pervasive and severe use of stereotypical imagery. In contrast, the Kansas City Chiefs, with less severe and less offensive portrayals, did not experience the same level of pressure, making their rebranding less urgent despite general support for such a change.