Officials with the Northwest Warriors say the association's teams will have a new logo when the time comes to replace the jerseys currently in use.
Bryan Boechler, president of the Northwest Warriors, released a statement on Friday morning responding to concerns regarding the depiction of an Indigenous man on the teams' sweaters.
“When the concern regarding our logo was raised, we took it very seriously,” said Boechler in the statement. “We would have liked to have been in a position to provide a quick and decisive response, but it was clear to us that we needed to be thorough and thoughtful, and most importantly to get direction from the Crowchild family. The naming of Crowchild Twin Arena and Crowchild Hockey Association, and the use of the Crowchild Blackhawks logo, was connected to honouring Chief David Crowchild. In view of the fact that the new Warriors logo came from this homage to the Crowchild family, their input was necessary to determine our future direction.”
Boechler says the organization has reached out to Tsuut’ina Chief Lee Crowchild and the two sides are working together to create updated images honouring Chief David Crowchild. The Northwest Warriors president says Chief Lee Crowchild supports the continued use of the current logo until new jerseys are introduced, a process that will likely take three years.
Chief Lee Crowchild confirmed his support for the move in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“On behalf of the Crowchild family I want to offer my thanks to the good people of the NW Warriors. They were proactive in creating a frank and respectful dialogue that lead to mutual agreement. They built bridges and strengthened relationships. I wish them and their players every success.”
Opposition to the Northwest Warriors jerseys surfaced earlier this month after a seven-year-old Indigenous girl chose not to play for her minor league hockey team because she considered the logo to be offensive.
While the association's logo will be updated in the coming years, the Warriors moniker will remain in place with the support of Tsuut’ina leadership.
