Cherokee Nation wants its tribe name off cars
Jeep has been building the Grand Cherokee for 45 years and is ready to release a 2022 model, but the brand is under fire.
Is it time for Jeep to put a new name on its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs?
The principal chief of the Cherokee Nation thinks so.
“I’m sure this comes from a place that is well-intended, but it does not honor us by having our name plastered on the side of a car,” Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, told Car and Driver for a story this weekend.
Hoskin told the Free Press he responded on the topic after the magazine reached out to ask about it. He and his staff, he said, do not seek out examples of problematic caricatures and depictions of Native Americans, although there are many, but he will continue to comment on these issues if asked about it.
Hoskin is more focused on trying to build a stronger community, clean up from a damaging winter storm and continuing the response to COVID-19, but he is clear on how he views the name issue.
“Our proud name should not be a corporate marketing tool,” Hoskin said. “Our name dates back to before recorded history. It’s against all odds that we are even here. Our name is invaluable to us as part of our identity.”
Hoskin said he participated with representatives from Stellantis, the parent company of the Jeep brand since a merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot-maker PSA Group, in a video call in late January. He said he was left with the impression that people in the meeting were people of good faith who wanted to understand the concerns, but no commitments were made regarding the Jeep Cherokee name.
The Cherokee name has been part of Jeep for years. Stellantis is heavily invested in the name, with plans to launch the threerow 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L this year. That larger version of the Grand Cherokee SUV is being built at the Detroit Assembly Complex — Mack Plant. A Stellantis official provided a statement when asked about Hoskin’s comments.
“Our vehicle names have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess and pride. We are, more than ever, committed to a respectful and open dialogue with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.,” according to the statement sent by spokesman Rick Deneau.
Both the Cherokee, which is made in Belvidere, Ill., and the larger Grand Cherokee, made at the Jefferson North plant in
Detroit, represent a substantial piece of sales for the Jeep brand. More than 345,000 Cherokee and Grand Cherokees were sold in the United States last year, according to the company.
Sales of Jeep SUVs also represent a particularly profitable chunk of vehicle sales for Stellantis.
Entities using references to Native Americans, particularly those references considered offensive, have been under pressure in recent years to make changes. The most notable recent examples are the National Football League team in Washington and the Major League Baseball team in Cleveland, both of which are being renamed.
Regarding the use of the Cherokee name, Hoskin said he believes it evokes a sense of strength and that people respond favorably. But using the name in this way is not appropriate, he said, and that Americans would be better served by having a richer understanding of the culture.