As Tribe Calls for Change, Will Jeep Cherokee Rebrand?

The Cherokee Nation, a sovereign tribal government in Oklahoma, has asked automaker Jeep to rebrand the SUV models that have used its name for more than 40 years. Car and Driver magazine was first to report the news, quoting Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, as Jeep prepares to launch the 2022 Grand Cherokee model. It's the latest call for change that has spurred a wave of rebrands beginning a year ago. “I’m sure [the Cherokee branding] comes from a place that is well intended, but it does not honor us by having our name plastered on the side of a car,” Hoskin said in a statement. Instead, he said the best way to honor the Cherokee Nation is to “learn about our sovereign government, our role in this country, our history, culture and language, and have meaningful dialogue with federally recognized tribes on cultural appropriateness." The Cherokee Nation did not respond to a request for comment from Adweek. These Brands Are Still Tapping Into Nostalgia for Slavery, Whether You Realize It or Not “Our vehicle names have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess and pride,” a Jeep spokesperson said in a statement. “We are, more than ever, committed to a respectful and open dialogue." Indeed, Car and Driver reported that Jeep “reached out to Chief Hoskin via phone earlier this month.” Jeep Cherokee brand history The Cherokee Nation is the largest indigenous tribe in the U.S. with more than 380,000 citizens. According to a timeline on the Jeep website, the automaker first used the Cherokee name in 1975 and has used it ever since, with the exception of a roughly decade-long period starting in the early 2000s when the Cherokee model was rebranded as Liberty in North America. (The Grand Cherokee model retained its name in the interim.) Jeep did not respond to questions about why it opted to rebrand in 2002 or why it eventually reversed course. Upon revival of the 2014 Cherokee model, The New York Times reported that a Cherokee Nation representative said the tribe “does not have a stance on this.” But as Bob Dylan sang in 1964, the times they are a-changing—which Hoskin noted in his statement. "I think we're in a day and age in this country where it’s time for both corporations and team sports to retire the use of Native American names, images and mascots from their products, team jerseys and sports in general,” he said. A year of rebrands Indeed, companies are acknowledging the sometimes problematic connotations of some iconic brands. Dairy brand Land O’Lakes announced a packaging change last year, removing the Indigenous woman who had been part of the brand’s logo for nearly 100 years. Similarly, the ice cream known as Eskimo Pie became Edy’s Pie. But arguably the biggest rebrands came from the world of sports, starting with the Washington Redskins changing their name to the Washington Football Team while finalizing their new branding, which was followed by the MLB's Cleveland Indians announcing their intention to retire the team name. Cleveland and Washington Are the Future of Sports Branding While experts say these teams mark the future of sports branding because “a smart brand doesn’t want to be seen as somebody who’s dragged kicking and screaming into enlightenment,” there are still some holdouts. This includes the MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, which have removed offensive components of the team experience but have thus far resisted full-scale rebrands. The list of problematic major league mascots also includes the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. It’s also worth noting that the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs are first and third, respectively, on the list of Jeep’s best-selling models, making up more than 40% of sales in 2020, per Car and Driver. And now Jeep, like Pearl Milling Company, Ben’s Original and Cream of Wheat before it, must weigh the pros and cons of its existing brands and decide the best path forward. “Brands, teams and organizations have for too long used Native names, mascots and imagery to the detriment of Native people and particularly Native youth,” said Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of the nonprofit IllumiNative that monitors media for negative depictions of Indigenous people. “The use of ‘Cherokee’ does not honor and celebrate Native people as Jeep has claimed," Hawk continued. "We urge them to listen to Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and acquiesce to his request to stop using the name on their cars and branding immediately. This is racism, and it must be eradicated.”

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