The nation's largest Native American organization is disputing MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's reasoning on why the Atlanta Braves' nickname and its "tomahawk chop" fan ritual should be allowed to continue.
Calling it a local issue, Manfred said Tuesday the Native American community in the region is "fully supportive of the Braves’ program, including the chop."
“For me, that’s kind of the end of the story,’’ he added.
However, the National Congress of American Indians countered that statement on Wednesday saying, "Nothing can be further from the truth."
Noting how MLB markets the game nationally and internationally, NCAI president Fawn Sharp said the Braves' name, logo and the chop "are meant to depict and caricature not just one tribal community but all Native people, and that is certainly how baseball fans and Native people everywhere interpret them.