or the tomahawk chop, but calls the chant "hokey", adding, "I told them, man, that's like 1940s, 1950s spaghetti western stuff." Sneed said he respects the opinion of those who oppose the name and chop motion. "I always took it as, from the time I was a child or a teen, that it was an acknowledgement of the warrior spirit of Native Americans and their strength, and so forth," Sneed said. "To me, the only thing that's derogatory is Redskins". Before the 2021 World Series, citing the disproportionate rates of poverty, sexual assault, and substance use that Native Americans face, Sneed said, "there are huge issues that are facing Indian country, and I get a little bit frustrated when it seems to be the only thing that people are outraged about is somebody swinging their arm at a baseball game". He added, "I've been asked previously, 'Are you offended by the tomahawk on the uniform?' Like, why? A tomahawk is an inanimate object. Why would I be offended by that?" Still, the Eastern Cherokee Band of Indians and the Braves organization have embarked on efforts to be more culturally appropriate and to integrate parts of Cherokee language and culture into the team's activities, stadium, and merchandise. Team name and branding In the winter of 2013, the team came under fire for using the Native American head logo on their spring training caps. After two months of controversy, the Braves replaced the cap with a different design that didn't feature the old Native American mascot. In July 2020, after the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians announced they were reevaluating their Native American mascots, attention turned to the Atlanta Braves team name. The Braves released a statement, announcing that discussions were still ongoing about the chop, but the team name would not be changed. In an interview, Braves president Terry McGuirk said, "we are so proud of our team's name, and our expectation is that we will always be the Atlanta Braves". In July 2020, Richard Sneed released a statement about the tribe's conversations with the Braves. The statement said the EBCI believed "that candid, thoughtful conversations are crucial to educating leaders and bringing about positive change". The EBCI statement also applauded "the Braves' willingness to engage in this effort and look forward to continuing to build the relationship the EBCI shares with them, to present a model for how other professional