Cleveland facing growing pressure in Canada to change team name and mascot
Posted Oct 15, 2016 06:39:30 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – The Cleveland Indians are facing growing pressure in Canada to ditch their name and mascot.
Douglas Cardinal, a prominent aboriginal architect, has filed an application with Ontario’s superior court demanding the team’s name and logo not be used in the province.
Cardinal wants the team, Major League Baseball, and Rogers Communications, which owns the Blue Jays and Toronto’s Rogers Center, to stop using both Cleveland’s name and the emblem, which features a toothy red-faced character named Chief Wahoo.
Rogers is currently broadcasting the American League Championship series between Toronto and Cleveland.
The court challenge is expected to be heard on Monday.
Cardinal has also filed complaints with the Ontario human rights tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Broadcasters including Jays announcer Jerry Howarth have vowed to never use the term “Indians” because it’s offensive to many First Nations people.
The United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ also issued a joint statement Friday urging the baseball team to change its name.
