Even as the American League Championship Series is being played in Toronto, Canada, Indian activist Douglas Cardinal filed suit in a Canadian court to force a country-wide ban on the Cleveland Indians name and their decades-old Chief Wahoo logo.
The Indians are set to take on the Toronto Blue Jays in Game three of the ALCS but if this activist has his way the Ohioans will be barred from wearing their uniforms or calling themselves by the team name they’ve played under since 1915.
The activist’s request is set to be heard by the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto on Monday, October 17, the Associated Press reported.
Mr. Cardinal insists that the team’s name and logo are demeaning and “offensive” to indigenous peoples and he is demanding an injunction barring their use in Canada.
The activist also demands that while in Canada the Indians should be referred to only as “the Cleveland team.”
The Cleveland Indians issued a short statement in response to the assault on their moniker and logo, saying only, “The Indians are focused on competing in the post season. We will not comment any further on matters that distract from our pursuit on the field.”
Already Blue Jays broadcaster Jerry Horwath stopped using the name as he calls games for the radio. He similarly stopped using the name of the Atlanta Braves, the Toronto Star reported in October.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.