VANCOUVER – An indigenous scholar suggests that the Vancouver Canucks remove the team’s decade-old orca logo, arguing that it was designed without indigenous advice and that it is “cultural appropriation.”
“The real problem here is power and profit,” tweeted Sean Carleton, who teaches at the University of Manitoba at the Department of History and Indigenous Studies.
“Vancouver is on unclaimed, stolen indigenous territory, and the team makes millions from its operations and ‘indigenous’ branding,” Carleton wrote.
The logo is in the shape of a C that looks like a BC killer whale. It was designed by artist Brent Lynch in 1996 and unveiled a year later. It has been worn by every Canucks captain in Trevor Linden.
Lynch and his team knew the look would be controversial and sought opinions from several First Nations chiefs.
“They had no problem with it and found it too cartoonish to be indigenous art,” said Lynch from his home on Vancouver Island. “We wouldn’t have done it if it had gotten too close to their ceremonial art.”
Coast Salish Nation’s grand boss Doug Kelly agrees it doesn’t look like First Nations art. He told CTV News that he was not offended by the logo, as he believed the Canucks had no intention of being offensive.
“Is racism an issue? Absolutely. Should we work together to exterminate? Absolutely. But do I worry about the Canucks logo? No way, no, no way, ”said Chief Kelly.
But Carleton suggested that the team go back to their classic hockey stick design.
“How can you continue to build meaningful relationships with the Coast Salish countries if you continue to benefit from branding that matches their art style,” he wrote online.
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