The Atlanta Braves World Series matchup against the Houston Astros has renewed scrutiny of fans’ tomahawk chop. The chop is a mock Native American chant beloved by some Braves fans and hated by others. However, franchise history buffs remain unclear about the tradition’s origins.
Many believe it started during the 1990s when NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders played for the team. Before the pros, Sanders played football at Florida State University, where fans engage in a similar chant.
NFL and MLB franchises have rebranded after calls to stop treating Native American names and imagery as sports mascots in recent years. The Washington Football Team dropped “Redskins”, and the Cleveland Indians will become the Guardians next season. But the Braves are standing their ground.
“I think in Atlanta, as I’ve said before, they’ve done a great job with the Native Americans,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I think the Native American group is the most important group to decide if it’s appropriate or not. And they’ve been unwaveringly supportive of the Braves.”
The National Congress of American Indians, the largest group representing Indians around the country, fired back with this statement.
“In our discussions with the Atlanta Braves, we have repeatedly and unequivocally made our position clear – Native people are not mascots, and degrading rituals like the ‘tomahawk chop’ that dehumanize and harm us have no place in American society,” the group wrote.