Chicago Blackhawks logo

The Blackhawks have worked with the American Indian Center to help educate their community and fan base by sharing Native American culture and history. Scott Sypolt, executive counsel for the American Indian Center, commented on the logo and name controversy: Joe Podlasek, the executive director of the American Indian Center of Chicago, commented on their relationship, stating, "[The Hawks] are far and away ahead of everyone else in forward-thinking. What they have done is engaged the community. In the other cities (organizations) want nothing to do with native people but yet they’re trying to say they respect us."However, this stance is markedly different from the one taken by the American Indian Center up until recent years. In 2010, Joe Podlasek stated that, "The stance is very clear. We want the Chicago Blackhawks logo to change. For us, that's one of our grandfathers. Would you do that with your grandfather's picture? Take it and throw it on a rug? Walk on it and dance on it?" John Blackhawk, Chairman of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, has suggested that the change in position may be tied to contributions the team has recently begun making to the center: "We all do contributions, but we don't do it for the sake of wanting to be forgiven for something we've done that's offensive."