Indigenous artists asked to design third Kelowna Chiefs’ jersey

The Kelowna Chiefs hockey team and Westbank First Nation are partnering in a contest to create a third jersey for the team.

Indigenous artists are being encouraged to submit a new Chiefs logo for the team, which plays out of the Rutland Arena.

“The logo should demonstrate what ‘Chief means to you.’ This does not have to be an updated version of the current logo, but a personal description of the symbolic or historical meaning of the word ‘Chief’,” the band states on its website.

In an interview Tuesday, Chiefs’ president Jason Tansem said the design contest was conceived as a result of a routine conversation with band officials about both the club’s nickname and current logo.

Some sports teams — such as ones formerly known as the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball, the Washington Redskins of the National Football League, and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League — have changed their names to ones that do not reference Indigenous people.

Tansem says the Kelowna Chiefs, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, would be open to changing the club’s name as well, should that be the desire of the WFN.

“If our neighbours across the bridge were unhappy with the name, changing it is definitely something we would look at doing,” he said.

“But they’ve expressed to us that they really want us to keep the Chiefs name,” Tansem said.

“They’ve told us that Chief is one of their highest honours. They don’t perceive any disrespect or any type of issue with keeping the name Chiefs. So, having their blessing, I don’t see that we’ll be changing the name.”

From all submissions received from indigenous artists, the WFN and club officials will select three finalists by mid-June with the winning submission then to be chosen in an online vote open to the entire community. The winning artist will receive $1,500.

The new third jersey, which will be worn for about 15 of the club’s 52 games next season, will also have the words ‘Every Child Matters’ embroidered around the neckline.

The Chiefs, which moved to Kelowna from Chase 11 years ago, draw about 400 fans a game to the Rutland arena. Given that many supporters live in Rutland, the question occasionally arises about changing the name to the Rutland Chiefs.

“That’s more of a league and franchise issue. It’s not something we’re looking at in the near future,” he said.