Members of the Lake Erie Native American Council are attending their first Guardians game Monday night. The game marks a continuing partnership between the team and the local indigenous community.
The Guardians announced its new name in 2021, after decades of pressure from the local indigenous community to lose its name and mascot that portrayed a racist caricature of indigenous people.
"This game is the continuation of an engagement process that we began with this team back in 2020 when we began working with them around the Cleveland Guardians name change," council chair Cynthia Connolly said.
Although Cleveland’s baseball team decided to change its name and mascot in 2021, Monday night represents a first for the council.
"This is the first time we'll be welcomed into Progressive Field on the other side of the gate rather than being on the outside demonstrating," Connolly said. "This is the first time we'll be inside, together, welcomed in and feeling welcome to join. For many, this will be their first game attending at Progressive Field."
Prior to the name change, the community didn’t feel welcome to participate in baseball games, Connolly said.
"For the longest time we didn't feel comfortable having a relationship with the team, right? Because of the mascot and the name and quite frankly, it was a point of contention and so we never felt like we could begin that relationship," Connolly said. "With the name change, we are able to take those steps now in building a strong relationship with the team."
Now, after working with the team to change its name to the Guardians, that’s changed.
“The difference is they took the time to listen," Connolly said.
About 100 members of the council will be attending the game.
"We love baseball too," Connolly said, "and now we feel more comfortable coming and enjoying this game and sharing this summer evening with the rest of the city."
The first pitch will be thrown out by B.T. Rambeau, a longtime activist and youth baseball coach.
"Their family has been involved with the activism with the mascot for a very long time," Connolly said, "so to have him throw the first pitch, represent his family, represent our community, it was very important that we had someone from our community throw that first pitch."
Rambeau hopes this opens more conversations between Guardians fans and the indigenous community.
“It’s an opportunity to embrace the change," Rambeau said.
Individually this will be the first Guardians game for many of their members, Connolly said. She hopes this representation starts a bigger conversation.
“I think it’s an opportunity to see us as your neighbors, as your coworkers, as your classmates," Connolly said. "For the longest time, we have been viewed through this very limited lens, and now, you’re able to really truly see us as who we are: as modern people who are part of this community as well, who are part of the city of Cleveland as well.”
The game represents a continuing partnership with the Guardians, Connolly said, a partnership she said couldn’t have happened without the team changing its name.
