Indigenous activist Douglas Cardinal has filed a human rights complaint to ban the use of the Cleveland Indians team name and their controversial Chief Wahoo logo in the province of Ontario.
Cardinal, a Canadian architect whose work is influenced by his Aboriginal heritage, says the team's name and its logo should be prohibited by Canadian law.
"Mr. Cardinal, who has long fought for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, has simply had enough," Cardinal's lawyer Michael Swinwood said in a release, according to CBC News. "Canadian law clearly prohibits discrimination of this nature."
Related: Blue Jays radio announcer won't say 'Indians' during ALCS
Cleveland's logo has long been argued to be controversial and offensive to Native Americans. The club announced in April they were officially changing the disputed brand to their secondary logo in favor of the current block-letter "C," though they refused to eliminate the Chief Wahoo logo entirely.
Cardinal also wants Cleveland's current opponents in the ALCS, the Toronto Blue Jays, to refrain from broadcasting the icon and team name during home games in the series.
"Major League Baseball is a unique product but that does not give baseball teams license for such wanton discrimination," Cardinal's lawyer said.
