Racist Tropes: On Tomahawks

Mountain City, Tennessee

We were up late. Atlanta had never seen anything like this. The Braves were on the cusp of the World Series. We were full of nervous energy. This was Game 7. Francisco Cabrera was pinch-hitting. The Braves needed two runs to win. Almost effortlessly, Cabrera hit the ball into a hole in left field. We jumped up on our feet and started screaming. David Justice scored the tying run. Right behind him, Sid Bream slid into home to win the game and secure a trip to the World Series. We did the “Tomahawk Chop” all night long. It is one of the more joyful moments of my life. I can remember every second. Those guys were giants to me.

Our teacher didn’t give us any context for the film…she just pushed play. Over the next two hours, I was exposed to some very troubling facts about our history. We raped Native women. We destroyed Native culture. We tortured Native people. We committed genocide against our Native neighbors. In those moments, I thought about us doing the “Tomahawk Chop.” In the midst of what I was learning, I realized that disrespectful was an understatement.

*I’m sure that many who read this will quibble with my use of the pronoun, “we.” To you I say, if you are the beneficiary of these evils then you are intrinsically connected to them. Whether you were physically present or not is of no consequence, when you reap the harvest of injustice you are one with the sower of injustice. Make no mistake, we still live on Native lands taken from Native peoples through what ultimately became a genocide of Native peoples.

Even though I still love the Braves, I don’t do the “Tomahawk Chop” any more. I feel like God has guided me to a different place…a place of justice. The message of Jesus in these matters is clear (and most other major world religions say something similar). We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Love always begins with repentance…a turning of the heart. So, in this moment I ask you to turn to love…I ask you to turn to justice…I ask you to stop disrespecting Native peoples who have been constantly mistreated/violated/slaughtered since nonNative peoples arrived. We can change. We can repent. We can love.

With all of this said, surely now is the time to consider a change to the name of your newspaper. There is nothing respectful about the name, “Tomahawk.” In fact, I would say that it is a form of violence that further compounds historical violence. Surely, your readers and the wider community would benefit from a lesson in love and justice. I have no doubt that there are plenty of other names for your newspaper that better speak to the standard of journalism you are trying to maintain. May these words ignite a spark of radical change that can touch even the hardest of hearts. There is so much more to you/us than racist tropes.

Amen.