The Blackhawks Ban Headdresses In The United Center

"....headdresses will be prohibited for fans entering Blackhawks-sanctioned events or the United Center when Blackhawks home games resume. These symbols are sacred, traditionally reserved for leaders who have earned a place of great respect in their Tribe, and should not be generalized or used as a costume or for everyday wear"--Chicago Blackhawks

Great move by the Blackhawks. Let's start with the quintessential tweet on this issue:

At no point, at NO point, do you want to be the guy on the left. This is EXACTLY where using First Nations iconography becomes offensive. When you make a mockery of a culture that is not good. It is very easy to cross that line if you're not careful. The Blackhawks are taking steps to make sure they are on the right side of this issue. Banning headdresses is not only appropriate, but helpful with educating the general public on the issue. I said this few weeks ago when the Blackhawks announced that they were keeping their name and logo

My first introduction to various nations was because I saw their name in sports. The Utes, the Seminoles, the Sioux, the Aztecs, the Illini, etc. They're all vastly different people with different cultures. They're not "indians". In fact, I bet if you told a Navajo that they were the same thing as a Comanche, they'd probably want to punch you in the face. They fucking HATED the Comanches according to this book I am listening to now. They're each a unique people with their own traditions, languages, and lifestyles and perhaps sports can be used as an avenue to get their story to the mainstream public. Teams using those names and iconography should be respectful, work with those people, and make a stronger effort to tell the stories. I hope the Blackhawks will do the same because while I do know a bit about Black Hawk himself, I don't know enough about the Soc people(I thought it was Sauk). 

I honestly believe that. The Blackhawks are taking steps to tell the story of a man and a people. Ensuring that individual fans can't tarnish that relationship or goal is important. Good for the organization and I hope they continue to take positive steps in this area