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Exeter Chiefs are to finish their Native American-themed branding this summer time.
The membership had acquired criticism for continued use of Native American imagery and introduced final 12 months that they have been reviewing their branding.
Exeter will maintain their ‘Chiefs’ nickname however will now use imagery from the Celtic Iron Age Dumnonii Tribe.
“We’re excited to welcome within the subsequent period of rugby inside Exeter,” mentioned Exeter chairman and chief govt Tony Rowe in an announcement.
“Exeter has and all the time will likely be a very powerful time period in our general id. The time period Chiefs, nonetheless, is equally entrenched in our make-up, going again to over a century in the past when groups on this area would often name their first groups that of the Chiefs,” Rowe added.
“As a rugby membership we’ve got been keen to pay attention, we’ve got consulted far and vast, and now we’re able to invoke change.
“It is a new route for our nice membership, however equally it is an thrilling imaginative and prescient that I’ve little doubt will propel us onwards and upwards over time.
“Our new imagery will convey to life the satisfaction our supporters need to assist their membership, unifying us all below one model that underlines all of our core traditions.”
‘Dehumanising stereotypes’
Various golf equipment have requested visiting Exeter followers to not put on Native American-themed headdresses to their away matches this season after criticism of the membership’s branding by the Nationwide Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
In October Dante Desiderio, the NCAI’s chief govt, mentioned: “Native ‘themed’ mascot imagery and the dehumanising stereotypes it perpetuates should go.”
The membership first acquired criticism over its branding – which in addition to a Native American on the membership’s crest, additionally contains locations such because the ‘Wigwam Bar’ and ‘Campfire Grill’ of their house floor at Sandy Park – in 2020 following a petition by some followers.
On the time Exeter determined to drop their mascot ‘Large Chief’ however retain the remainder of their branding.
In the US, Washington’s American soccer workforce selected to drop their controversial Redskins title and brand, whereas Cleveland’s baseball workforce has modified its title from the Indians to the Guardians.
Celtic Kingdom of Dumnonia
Exeter’s new imagery comes from the Dumnonii tribe.
The membership says the tribe was primarily based in Devon, Cornwall and components of Somerset for “many a whole lot of years earlier than the Roman occupation from AD43, in addition to the later ‘Celtic Kingdom of Dumnonia’, which was established round AD410 and continued for nearly 500 years”.
At the moment, Exeter say, historians consider individuals have been “dwelling in small kingdoms often known as ‘chiefdoms’ which have been dominated by excessive chieftains”, thus offering a hyperlink to maintain the time period ‘Chiefs’ which the membership says has been used as a time period for his or her first workforce for the reason that early 1900s.
“The change in id comes within the wake of the Exeter Rugby Membership’s board enterprise a full and informative overview course of over the previous two years,” an announcement from the two-time Premiership and 2020 European champions added.
“In launching the brand new imagery, detailed submissions, along with intensive historic analysis from main professionals, have been undertaken to make sure the rugby membership have a model that not solely recognises our traditions however, extra importantly, identifies with our supporters and the area itself.”
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