Chief of Cherokee Nation demands Jeep stop using ‘culturally appropriated’ name

The chief of the Cherokee Nation has called on carmaker Jeep to change the name of two of its best-selling SUV models, saying that naming them after the Native American tribe amounts to cultural appropriation.

“I’m sure this comes from a place that is well-intended, but it does not honour us by having our name plastered on the side of a car,” Chuck Hoskin Jr told the magazine Car and Driver in a written statement.

“The best way to honour us is to learn about our sovereign government, our role in this country, our history, culture, and language and have meaningful dialogue with federally recognised tribes on cultural appropriateness,” he said.

The Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are two of Jeep’s best-selling vehicles and together made up more than 40 per cent of Jeep’s total sales in 2020, according to Car and Driver. The company has been using the Cherokee name on its vehicles since the 1970s, with the Jeep Cherokee introduced in 1974. The company dropped the name in 2001, but reintroduced it in 2013.