- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs will no longer be able to wear American Indian headdresses to games at Arrowhead Stadium, the NFL franchise announced last Thursday in a statement.
In addition, the team announced it will prohibit face painting that appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions. If fans arrive at the stadium with inappropriate face painting, they will be asked to remove the paint prior to passing through security screening.
The team says it began a dialogue with a diverse group of local American Indian leaders in 2014 “to gain a better understanding of the issues facing American Indian communities in our region and explore opportunities to both raise awareness of American Indian cultures and celebrate the rich traditions of tribes with a historic connection to the Kansas City area.”
The changes announced on Thursday will go into effect immediately.
“We are grateful for the meaningful conversations we have had with all of these American Indian leaders,” the team said. “It is important that we continue the dialogue on these significant topics, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”
For Rhonda LeValdo, a faculty member at Haskell Indian Nations University, the football team did not go far enough.
“Our group, Not in Our Honor, is not backing down from changing the name. Just because they get rid of some things that are racist, it does not mean that it still isn’t racist. You can’t be a little racist, you either are or not,” LeValdo told Native News Online.
The changes from the Kansas City Chiefs come after the Washington NFL franchise moved to change its controversial name and logo in July.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Red Hoop Talk: Native Stories, Real Conversations
NEXT ON NATIVE BIDASKÉ: The Tribe Said No - Her Own People Refused Her
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
