Washington Commanders Add Spear to Logo, Drawing Criticism From Native American Groups

The Washington Commanders spent years getting out from under the controversy of their old name and mascot. Now they've stepped right back into it.

On April 15, the team unveiled a new alternate logo featuring a spear intertwined with their "W" — and the backlash from Native American organizations was immediate and pointed.

"We are not your mascot," the Association on American Indian Affairs said flatly in a statement to USA TODAY. "It is time to stop repeating this cycle and listen to Native Peoples who have been clear, consistent, and unwavering on this issue."

How We Got Here

The team dropped its former name and Native American mascot in 2020 after decades of opposition and rebranded as the Washington Commanders in 2022. For many Native American advocates that was a long-overdue correction — a moment of genuine progress after years of fighting.

The new spear logo, at least to critics, looks like a step in the wrong direction.

The team's own framing of the logo didn't help. Their social media posts described the spear as a "powerful joining of past and present" and said "the spearhead symbolizes those leading the fight." The caption on one post read "Pieces of then and now, tied to one legacy."

Harvard history professor Philip Deloria called that framing out directly.

"Symbols don't work that way," he wrote. "They are collectively created, transmitted, and interpreted — not invented by a marketing team. So that statement is essentially meaningless. It's just part of the long history of the team making up excuses and justifications for what has long been a racist practice."

What Native American Groups Are Saying

The National Congress of American Indians, which celebrated the retirement of the old mascot in 2022, called the new imagery harmful. The group said that "any prideful nod to a harmful past, even one that may appear harmless on its face, can carry an insidious message."

The group Not In Our Honor — formed in 2005 by Native American college students specifically to fight Native imagery in sports — was blunter. "They are backsliding from the correct decision to stop the Native American cultural appropriation. The spear on their helmet has no place with the new name and brand."

Indigenous scholar Marcus Briggs-Cloud said the logo reduces Indigenous people to identities rooted in violence — "European contrived imaginaries of the noble savage" that have no connection to actual Indigenous values.

Social psychologist Stephanie Fryberg, whose research focuses on representations of Native Americans, warned about real-world consequences.

"Research has long shown that Native-themed mascots and symbols cause psychological harm, particularly to Native youth, by reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to the ongoing erasure of Native peoples in contemporary society," she said.

Suzan Harjo, a Native American activist who was part of the lawsuits that eventually forced the team's rebrand, said she believes the spear is an attempt to appease fans who never accepted the name change.

"There are a lot of people in Washington D.C. who really long for the days of the dreaded R-word," she said. "It was a vile name. It was one of the vilest ever."

Not Everyone Objects

It's not a unanimous reaction. Becky Clayton-Anderson, president of the Native American Guardians Association, praised the design.

"It's encouraging to have a small piece of Native imagery represented again, honoring the deep connection between Native heritage and America's sports traditions," she said.

What the Team Is Saying

Commanders president Mark Clouse acknowledged the controversy during a radio interview but didn't directly address the criticism from Native American groups.

"I know we're not always going to make everybody happy," he said. "What I can say for fans is we really do listen. We care."

He also made clear the spear isn't going anywhere. The logo will appear on alternate uniforms during four games this season and will be worked into team merchandise going forward.

"We will continue to find ways to integrate it," Clouse said. "We love it."

Worth noting — the Commanders declined to say whether they consulted any Native Americans in the design process. The NFL didn't respond to questions either.

Deloria's question might be the simplest summary of where things stand. The team had successfully rebranded. The controversy had quieted. So why do this?

"It lets us see what they really want," he said, "which seems to be an incremental resurrection of a history that they could have gotten past — if they'd wanted to."

Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.