For a number of years, sports teams at every level from professional to middle school have been forced into name changes at the behest of the woke establishment. No more Redskins, no more Indians, no more Redmen. Whether Native American groups were protesting or not has been irrelevant.
Woke white folks have decided to protect supposed marginalized groups because apparently, they can’t speak for themselves. Now we have Guardians, Commanders, and other generic, boring names, further eliminating any reference to indigenous people. One AAA baseball team has said ‘nope’ and went one step further by partnering with the regional Native American group to form a partnership mutually beneficial for both. Outkick reports:
After a slew of teams across sports named after indigenous groups folded and changed their branding, at least one, the Indianapolis Indians, have stood their ground,
Not only that, but they’ve also announced a partnership with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana.
Indianapolis, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that the Indians moniker will stick around in 2023 and 2024. They’ve had that name since 1902.
In that same announcement, the team revealed their partnership with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana.
We have formed a new partnership with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana and will remain the Indianapolis Indians during the 2023 and '24 seasons as the organization explores and activates programs with the Miami.
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) February 23, 2023
Instead of crying racism, the Indianapolis Indians and the Miami Nation of Indiana actually got together and decided to do something to benefit everyone rather than name-shame the team. And why not? The term “Indian” was coined because clueless explorers thought they were in India. It isn’t exactly a racist label. Now the Miami Nation can reap the benefits of a partnership with one of the top Minor League organizations in all of baseball. Outkick continues:
The partnership will involve honoring Miami veterans during Native American Heritage Night and support for a Miami scholarship program. It will also include educational opportunities for fans.
“We are pleased to work with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana to help educate our fans about the rich history and culture of its tribe,” Indianapolis Chairman and CEO Bruce Schumacher said.
“We look forward to using our platform to educate our fans by acknowledging, uplifting and honoring those upon whose ancestral lands Victory Field is built.”
Why don’t more teams solve their naming issues like this? Instead of re-branding, why can’t both sides win? The woke left doesn’t want anyone to win except for themselves, so anything less than bending a knee and complying is out of the question.
Now, the Miami Nation gets a platform to tell their story and enlighten people about their rich heritage while Indianapolis Indians fans can still root for their team without feeling like a bunch of racist white folks. That’s a win-win.
Chief of the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana Brian Buchanan voiced his excitement about the new partnership. Outkick concludes:
“We are grateful to the Indianapolis Indians for the opportunity to share our story with Hoosiers throughout central Indiana,” he said.
Good on the Indianapolis Indians for not bowing to pressure from the woke mob. Even better for the Miami Nation to see the opportunity.
Too often what’s left of our native population is shoved back into the shadows, and virtue signaling leftists take away the names that are left in the name of racism. However, that just erases the memory of Native Americans further. Kudos to Indianapolis for lifting up the Miami Nation and staying true to who they are.
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