Designer of Marc-Andre Fleury's new mask says three designs were rejected by team

The man who designed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's new mask for the upcoming season with the Chicago Blackhawks says three of his designs were rejected by the team over "racial tensions."

"After three concepts refused by the team due to racial tensions, here is Marc-Andre's new mask," said painter Stephane Bergeron on his Facebook account. "Many elements related to natives cannot be reproduced on the masks of the Blackhawks which greatly limits my creativity."

Here is the exact quote. pic.twitter.com/GnNaqULb5l— Goalie Gear Nerd (@GoalieGearNerd) September 17, 2021

Sports logos containing indigenous names and imagery have been a bone of contention for some time, with some teams decided to ditch names completely because of it (Washington Football Team, Cleveland Guardians beginning in 2022). The Chicago Blackhawks were named in honor of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division, which was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division" after Black Hawk, a Native American chief. The team's founder, Frederic McLaughlin, served in that division.

Black Hawk was a leader of the Sauk who sided with the British in the War of 1812 and later attempted to regain tribal land in the Black Hawk War of 1832. The Blackhawks have worked with the American Indian Center (AIC) to help inform their community and fan base by sharing Native American culture and history. Scott Sypolt, Executive Counsel for the American Indian Center weighed in on the logo and name controversy by stating, "There is a consensus among us that there's a huge distinction between a sports team called the Redskins depicting native people as red, screaming, ignorant savages and a group like the Blackhawks honoring Black Hawk, a true Illinois historical figure." However, the AIC has not always taken this position, with the stance in 2010 being that the team should change its name and logo.

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