The Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are forming a committee to explore the appropriateness of their nickname. The team added that it will also gather community input.
Professional sports teams have received backlash for nicknames considered offensive, and the NFL’s Washington team has dropped its Redskins nickname and logo after pressure from corporate partners.
The American Indian Center of Indiana has deemed the nickname offensive and asked the Indianapolis club to change it. The center’s executive director, Carolina Castoreno-Santana, noted that the team in 1995 removed the “racist kind of caricature that they had of indigenous people as their mascot, but the name for the mascot remains.”
The team tweeted a statement on Tuesday, explaining its history.
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) July 28, 2020
“Indianapolis Indians baseball dates back to 1902 and it’s been the organization’s goal to be low-cost family entertainment for all fans in an inclusive environment,” the team tweeted Tuesday. “We take this mission very seriously. We also feel strongly about the relationship we have with our fans, community and corporate partners.”
The team also noted that the nickname is “derived from our state, Indiana, which means ‘Land of the Indians’ and our city, Indianapolis, which means ‘City of Indians.’”
“We are prepared to collaborate with our community and appropriate stakeholders,” the statement read. “We understand that our team name has not been endorsed by some but trust they understand the historic and respectful context in which it has been used over the years. We are committed to engage, listen and exchange ideas.”
