MLB

Tribes Push Back Against MLB Claims That Native Americans Approve of Tomahawk Chop

The commissioner insisted that the gesture by Atlanta Braves fans is OK with local Indigenous communities

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

In this photo, Atlanta Braves fans do the Tomahawk Chop during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday, April 10, 2021, in Atlanta.

Native American groups pushed back Wednesday against Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred's claim that Indigenous communities support the Atlanta Braves' tomahawk chop.

Manfred told reporters at the World Series on Tuesday that Native Americans near Atlanta don't mind the sight of Braves fans' chanting in a faux battle cry during games at Truist Park in Cobb County, north of Atlanta.

"The Braves have done a phenomenal job with the Native American community," Manfred said on the field at Minute Maid Park in Houston. "The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves' program, including the chop.

"And for me, that's kind of the end of the story," he continued. "In that market, taking into account the Native American community, it works."

But Jason Salsman, a spokesman for Chief David Hill of the Muscogee Nation, said Manfred can't base his opinion on any one stance from a Native community.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

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