A statue depicting the Chicago Blackhawks logo outside the United Center was defaced over the weekend, the team confirmed in a statement to The Athletic.
A Twitter account named “no racist mascots” shared photos of the statue being covered in orange paint with phrases like “Land Back” written on and around it.
News of the incident comes on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that celebrates Native Americans and honors their histories and cultures.
There has been recent pressure on the Blackhawks to change their name and mascot following the announcement that Washington was shedding their old nickname.The Cleveland Indians said this summer that they are looking into a potential name change while the Atlanta Braves declined to do so.
In July, the Blackhawks said it would continue to use their nickname as it honors a Native American leader
“We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation,” the team said in a statement at the time. “Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people.”
The statue, erected in 2000 to commemorated the 75th anniversary of the team, will soon be sent off for repairs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.