Tomahawk chop

The tomahawk chop being performed by members of the Georgia National Guard

The tomahawk chop is a sports celebration popularly used by fans of the American Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves baseball team, the Kansas City Chiefs American football team, and the English Exeter Chiefs rugby union team. The tomahawk chop involves moving the forearm forwards and backwards repeatedly with an open palm to simulate a tomahawk chopping, and is often accompanied by a distinctive cheer.[1] The Atlanta Braves also developed a foam tomahawk to complement the fan actions.

The chop has been the source of controversy for decades and has been characterized as a racist caricature of Native American culture. The "chop" has also been performed at the high school level, where hundreds of teams continue to use Native American names and imagery, which has been a factor in the ongoing movement to change these practices.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference slate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Jeremy Engle (January 31, 2020). "Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Cori Urban (March 25, 2019). "Board continues ban on controversial Turners Falls High School 'tomahawk chop'". Mass Live.
  4. ^ Shelby Miller (March 6, 2019). "Toledo school gets rid of controversial Indian mascot, Tomahawk Chop cheer". KIRO 7 News.