Chiefs nix headdresses, face paint to start NFL season

Kansas City Chiefs fans who file into Arrowhe stium Thursday for a masked and socially distanced start to NFL season won't be wearing hedresses or face paint amid a nationwide push for racial justice following death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

move by reigning Super Bowl champions has pleased Native Americans as a good first step, but frustrated some of 17,000 fans who will be in stands as team becomes first to take field in front of a crowd — albeit a smaller than rmal one — during coronavirus pandemic. Enforcing new restrictions also comes as team tries to require masks, which has proven challenging at some public practices.

NFL teams with Native American mascots are facing increased scrutiny after team in Washington chose to drop Redskins as its nickname after a long and often contentious dialogue with fans and public. Chiefs also anunced last month that team was discussing future of its tomahawk chop celebration amid complaints that it’s racist.

Students at nearby Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, are among those who demanded changes.

“Using this mascot and having this fan base of predominantly white people wearing face paint and hedresses and doing tomahawk chop, and it energizes m and gives m this sense of power, and n thinking re is thing wrong with doing that is just mind boggling to me," said William Wilkinson, Haskell's former University Student Government Association president.

Wilkinson, who is Navajo, Cherokee, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara, said that eventually team nickname also must change.

“It dehumanizes us and gives us Native Americans this picture of being this sav beast that is hungry for fighting when in real life we are thing like that,” said 22-year-old business major from Mison, Wisconsin.

Ty Rowton, a self-described superfan who goes to games as X-Factor, dressed with an Arrowhe on his he, bes and a cape signed by players, has me one change to his costume. Inste of face paint, he will stick Duct tape with Bible verses on his face.

He was stopped by security when he wore getup for a training camp practice but said he has since gotten clearance for ensemble. Still, he thinks team's changes are an overreaction and said fans love to pose with people wearing hedresses. He also thinks team also should keep tomahawk chop.

“It is something that gets us riled up toger and that we do as one. It has never been meant to be disrespectful at all,” he said.

Gaylene Crouser, executive director of Kansas City Indian Center, said it's wrong to use “a race of people as a mascot.” Her group has demanded changes for years and she thinks momentum may be shifting.

“It has always been swept under rug, but because Washington team was leaned on so hard that y me change, w some of or ones are starting to feel heat,” she said. “I hope this is beginning of end of this acceptable racism.”

Sixty-five-year-old fan Connie Jo Gillespie, who is a mix of East Woodland Shawnee, Plains Cree and Mississippi Chickasaw, supports banning hedress but thinks Chiefs name should stay. She considers herself a hardcore fan and praised efforts team has me to work with national organizations that work closely on issues that affect Native Americans.

For example, Chiefs celebrate American Indian Herit Month by inviting elders to a game each year and having m do a ceremonial “Blessing of Drum and Four Directions of Arrowhe Stium.”

“ KC Chiefs have an opportunity to culturally educate n Indians about our herit, culture, and tritions because of ir name," she wrote. “y along with local and regional American Indian leers and tribal members, are wisely using that opportunity to culturally educate and bring respect to American Indian culture and herit."

Im credits: AP