Jeep
It’s time for Jeep to reconsider calling its SUVs “Cherokee” and “Grand Cherokee”, said Cherokee nation chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. This marks the first time the Cherokee nation has directly asked Jeep to stop using its name for vehicles , something that the brand has done for the past 45 years.
Although the Cherokee nation has commented on the name in the past, this time, the debate was rekindled by Car and Driver, who reached out to Chief Hoskin for comment.
“I’m sure it comes from a well-intentioned place, but it doesn’t honor us for having our name on the side of a car. The best way to honor us is to learn about our sovereign government, our role in this country, our history, culture and language, and we have a meaningful dialogue with federally recognized tribes on cultural suitability. I think we are at a time in this country when it is time for companies and team sports to abandon the use of names, images and mascots of American Indians for their products, team t-shirts and sports in general, ”he told the publication.
The first Jeep Cherokee arrived in the 1974 model year, and although the nameplate was retired in favor of the Jeep Liberty between 2002 and 2014, Jeep continued to sell a Grand Cherokee model throughout that time. In fact, the Grand Cherokee is the Jeep’s best seller, with almost 210,000 homes in the United States in 2020.
As Ars previously covered, in 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that offensive trademarks are OK under American law. But 2020 saw a renewed awareness of racial justice in the United States. The Washington, DC, NFL team finally stopped using their offensive name that July, and in December, the Cleveland MLB team discarded their racist name and mascot.
In turn, Jeep – now part of Stellantis – told Car and Driver that “the names of our vehicles have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate the Native American people for their nobility, bravery and pride. We are , more than ever, committed to a respectful and open dialogue with the chief chief of the Cherokee nation, Chuck Hoskin, Jr. “