The Braves said in a written statement at that game that they looked forward “to continued dialogue with those in the Native American community after this postseason concludes.” The Braves were able to defer a decision on the future of the tomahawk chop last year because no fans attended games at Truist Park in a season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. Schiller also said in the July interview: “No matter what the decision is from our vantage point, this started as a fan initiative, and the fans are likely going to keep doing it anyway.” “Be assured we are spending a lot of time thinking about it,” McGuirk said then, and Schiller added: “It’s a topic that deserves a lot of debate and a lot of discussion and a lot of thoughtfulness, and that’s exactly what we are doing.” Significantly, Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies will be the first game played at Truist (formerly named SunTrust Park) with fans in attendance since the 2019 NLDS.ĭuring a joint interview with the AJC in July, Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk and Schiller said unequivocally that the Braves would keep their team name, but left open the question of whether the organization would keep the tomahawk chop as part of its in-game fan experience.
In a letter sent to season-ticket holders last year, the Braves wrote that they were “continuing to listen to the Native American community, as well as our fans, players and alumni, to ensure we are making an informed decision on this part of our fan experience.” When asked about the chop in other interviews over the past 18 months, the Braves generally have said they were continuing to get input from various groups, including the team’s Native American Working Group, the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
In some ways, the Braves have backed away from their tomahawk-chop tradition over the past year-plus. They replaced “Chop On” as a marketing slogan with “For the A.” They removed a large wooden “Chop On” sign from the stadium last year. The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs also have made the tomahawk chop a tradition, and the chant greeted the team as it took the field for the Super Bowl in Tampa in February.Īn in-depth report by the AJC last year found that within the Native American community, there are strong and varied opinions on the Braves name and associated imagery. Some groups called for the Braves to change their name and end the use of the chop. Some individuals took issue with the chop but not the name.
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