Cherokee Tribe Indians Demand Jeep Stop Using 'Cherokee' Name

Jeep Cherokee during the Vienna Auto Show in January 2019 (Source: NBC)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Cherokee tribe, a Native American Indian group, has demanded that Jeep stop using the tribe's name as a trademark, sparking expected controversy.

On the 22nd (local time), according to CNBC and CNN, Cherokee tribe representative Chuck Hoskin issued a statement saying, "It is not an honor to have our tribe's name on the side of vehicles," urging the cessation of its use.

Jeep uses the name "Cherokee" in two sport utility vehicle (SUV) model names: 'Cherokee' and 'Grand Cherokee.' The Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models account for more than 40% of total sales (as of the end of last year), making them a significant portion.

While the Cherokee tribe has previously expressed dissatisfaction with Jeep's use of the tribe's name for its SUV models, this is the first time they have directly called for a stop to its use, the Washington Post reported.

Stellantis, the owner of Jeep, released a statement saying, "Our vehicle names have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor the nobility, skill, and pride of Native Americans," adding, "We will make more efforts than ever to have a respectful and open dialogue with Representative Chuck Hoskin."

However, Representative Hoskin indicated that there is no possibility of an agreement with Jeep regarding royalties or donations, stating, "Economic benefits do not fix the fundamental issue."

He emphasized, "We have entered an era where companies and sports teams stop using Native American names, images, and mascots on their products or team uniforms."

Previously, the Major League Baseball team Cleveland Indians, embroiled in controversy over their team name being offensive to Native Americans, announced they would remove "Indians" from the team name and discontinue the use of the "Chief Wahoo" logo, which had been used on all uniforms.

The Cherokee tribe is the largest Indian tribe with a population of 380,000, with over 140,000 living within the Indian reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, Jeep sold the vehicle under the model name "Liberty" instead of "Cherokee" in the North American market in 2002, but changed the model name back to Cherokee in 2013, citing higher preference for the Cherokee name.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.