In the wake of the Washington NFL announcing that they are looking at changing their nickname to something other than a racial slur, the Cleveland Indians have announced that they are engaged in the process of examining whether their use of the nickname “Indians” is appropriate.
The use of mascots referencing Native Americans has been criticized for decades — I remember a Sports Illustrated piece in the mid-80s that focuses on folks of Native American heritage objecting to the use of such monikers — though in recent years that has increased. Particular attention has been paid to the NFL’s Washington club, and the use of caricatures as part of logos or emblems.