Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Dave Warren’s tribe have been pushing back against MLB and the MLBPA
The members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy are making no apologies for their ritualistic tomahawk chop on Thursday afternoon.
It’s been criticised as a use of ceremonial violence that shouldn’t be part of the game.
But their claims it is a voluntary (in the tribe’s view) celebration and not part of their traditional culture put the Major League Baseball (MLB) in a difficult position.
So on Tuesday, the NFL (National Football League) and the National Basketball Association also joined in the drum roll over the chop.
Tellingly, the tomahawk chop isn’t just a Native American tradition – it has been adopted by many Indigenous cultures around the world.
Change.org user Bami Manar submitted an anti-tomahawk chop petition calling it “a cultural relic” that threatened to destroy “the camaraderie and support that sports offers to all athletes”.
Some have argued that it is better left alone.
[email protected]@[email protected] is hanging out at the sports bar bar with two regulars… I’m Josue. Also known as the @MLB tomahawk chop guy, the guy who goes after hitters with the sharp chop of a tomahawk… Not only does he defend his chop, he defends it as a cultural tradition that is not just part of the game, but built into the territory that both Native Americans and non-Native Americans share… We need to stop the madness…
The American League Central Division final between the Indians and Yankees (Game Two) start at 19:08 BST on Thursday. You can follow live match coverage on the BBC Sport website or on our Sports app.
