NHL’S Blackhawks won’t bow to pressure

The Chicago Blackhawks will not change their name, the National Hockey League club announced Tuesday, despite mounting pressure from Indigenous advocacy groups and others who say the team’s name and logo are racist.

The team issued a statement Tuesday, just days after the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball announced they would consider changing their names.

“We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect,” the Blackhawks said, “and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation.”

The Chicago team, one of the league’s Original Six franchises, said the team name was intended to honour Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation. But many Indigenous peoples argue that any depiction of Indigenous peoples as a team name or mascot is inherently racist and demeaning, and inflicts psychological damage, especially on the self-esteem of Indigenous children.

“We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture,” the team’s statement said, adding: “Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people.”