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Thinking Out Loud: Another Year of Mascot Controversy

September 11, 2026 - 7:30 am

Smiling man in a home recording studio sits beside a microphone and pop filter, creating a warm, friendly podcasting scene. Kevin P. Henry

By Kevin P. Henry for Thinking Out Loud

The NFL season is upon us, and like every year I ask myself these questions:

Are fans and teams honoring or mocking Native Americans?

The Kansas City Chiefs will continue to use Native-themed branding this season. Many fans— who are not Native American—will wear headdresses, paint their faces and perform the so-called “tomahawk chop.” Meanwhile, amid ongoing criticism from Native organizations, the Atlanta Braves baseball team has no intention of changing its name.

This controversy has gone on for decades. Some sports teams have changed their names. Washington D.C.’s NFL team became the Commanders, and Cleveland’s baseball team was renamed the Guardians. Florida State, however, still uses the Seminoles name with the support of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Major organizations—including Reclaiming Native Truth and the National Congress of American Indians—have said that Native-themed mascots and caricatures perpetuate harmful stereotypes and can damage the self-esteem of Native youth.

Research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that most Native participants are offended by fans wearing headdresses and imitating Native dances.

Of course there are people who say, “It’s harmless,” or “We’re honoring their culture.”

But if this is truly about honor, here some questions for these folks.

What do you know about Native American history?

Do you know about the broken treaties, forced removal, boarding schools, stolen land and attempts to erase Native languages and cultures?

Have you ever attended a Native cultural event, supported a Native organization or taken the time to get to know Native and Indigenous people personally? 

A culture is not a costume, or a Halloween character.

A racial identity is not playing dress up for a party.

Do you truly want to honor another culture? Learn about it. 

And if you feel like defending the Kansas City Chiefs, is it just because you don’t want to feel accountable for enabling an offensive trend to continue in which you are borrowing culture for your own entertainment?

There is nothing honorable about that.

This is Kevin P. Henry, for Thinking Out Loud.