"Commit to the Indian"

Some thoughts on the Blackhawk hockey logo, which doesn't look much like Black Hawk the Sauk war chief.

Commit to tastefulness

Though Blackhawks fans quickly have taken to Savard's 'motto,' it hasn't gone over well with the Native American communityYou want to "Commit to the Indian"? Joe Podlasek has some ideas for you.

"If the Blackhawks want to commit to the symbol, why don't they help us feed 300 families a month?" he said. "Why don't they write a check for scholarships? I don't see them as being committed to the symbol."Some background:The phrase has struck a chord with Hawks fans, many of whom would like to adopt it as the team's slogan. President John McDonough has been inundated with e-mails suggesting ways the Hawks can market the phrase, and you already can buy "Commit to the Indian" T-shirts online. Clearly Hawks fans are rediscovering their passion for the team, and that's great. But not everyone is happy about the way they've latched onto Savard's poor choice of words.

Count Podlasek--executive director of the American Indian Center at 1630 W. Wilson on the North Side--among the unhappy.

"For a fan base to use that statement as its motto is terrible," he said. "What are they teaching the kids? These old symbols perpetuate the belief that American Indians are a thing of the past and that natives don't exist."The logo is also a problem:And there's more. The Indian head on the Hawks' sweater, Chief Blackhawk? While the image is not as offensive as others--Podlasek cited the former Illinois mascot, Chief Illiniwek, as an example of a highly offensive symbol--that doesn't mean it's acceptable.

"We're not happy about the logo, either," he said. "It's on our list to be removed. But because they don't surround it with all the hoopla, it's not a priority compared to others.

"I can't speak for what their logo means to them, but as a representation of our people, it feeds into other stereotypical things. These kind of symbols went out with every other race and culture a long time ago."Comment:  Feathers and warpaint...check. But what's with the orange skin?



Below:  The historical Black Hawk. Doesn't look much like the logo, does he? Message to fans: All Indians look the same.



Below:  A comparable logo for the Chicago Zulus. Go, team! Commit to the African! Honor the warrior from two centuries ago!



Commit to banishing stereotypes because they're false or misleading. For more on the subject, see Team Names and Mascots.