Kansas City Chiefs to Prohibit Headdresses, Native American Appropriation at Arrowhead

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that fans will not be permitted to wear headdresses or "any face paint that is styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian Cultures and traditions" into Arrowhead Stadium.

In a statement released on their website, the team references discussions it had with groups of local leaders from American Indian backgrounds beginning in 2014 and their plans to continue and expand those partnerships.

The statement also lays out a list of new policies the team will be implementing, including the banning of headdresses and American Indian-themed facepaint, plus news that they are reviewing the tomahawk chop:

- While we have discouraged fans from wearing headdresses for several years, effective immediately, fans will be prohibited from wearing headdresses into the stadium.
- Face painting is still allowed for all fans, but any face paint that is styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions will be prohibited.
- Fans will be asked to remove any American Indian-themed face paint prior to passing security screening outside the stadium. We are engaged in a thorough review process of the Arrowhead Chop and plan to have additional discussions in the future.
- We are exploring all options for a modified engagement moment from the Drum Deck that maintains a unifying effect between our fans and our players but better represents the spiritual significance of the drum in American Indian cultures.
- This includes discussions around how to shift the focus of the drum to something that symbolizes the heartbeat of the stadium.
- As allowed by NFL guidelines and the City of Kansas City Health Department for the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season, we will continue with many of the traditions that we have introduced over the past six years, including the Blessing of the Four Directions, the Blessing of the Drum, as well as inviting members of tribes with a historic connection to our region to participate in our American Indian Heritage Month Game.
- Finally, we are exploring the creation of a more formalized education program with input from both our local and national partners.

For the team's full statement, click here.

Jacob Harris of Arrowhead Report wrote about the Chiefs' options after the Washington Football Team changed their name earlier this offseason.

For the record, I don’t know what the right answer to the mascot debate is as relates specifically to the Chiefs. In fact, I don’t think there is a “right” answer. The Chiefs as a name and mascot isn’t offensive in a vacuum the way Washington’s now-former team name or the Cleveland Indians now-former Chief Wahoo logo were.
Certainly, things like the chop and fans dressing up as cartoon Indians shouldn’t have ever been a thing. It should be easy enough to keep the headdresses out of the stadium, but it’ll be much more difficult to eliminate the chop. Even if the Chiefs stop actively promoting it, that won’t stop fans from doing it.