Lily Gladstone Sends a Strong Message About Kansas City Chiefs' Tomahawk Chop

Lily Gladstone visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on Jan. 25, 2024, in New York City.

Actress Lily Gladstone—who is of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage—sent a strong message about the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers because of their offensive Native American imagery.

During an interview on a Feb. 16 episode of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, the Killers of the Flower Moon actress shared her candid opinions about the NFL teams, which faced off in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. Specifically, she targeted the Chiefs' tomahawk chop chant.

“The 49ers are based on the Gold Rush in California, which was an incredibly brutal period of time for California Indians. So there’s that,” Gladstone said. “And then, the Chiefs. There are a lot of ways that you could wear the name ‘chief.’ … It’s not the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn tomahawk chop.”

Gladstone went on to share that the tomahawk chop feels like a "mockery" to Native Americans.

"It’s directly correlated to the way that we see ourselves as Native people,” she explained. “Our kids have the highest suicide rate of any demographic in the country… When you don’t see yourself represented—or you do and it’s either fetishized or distorted or otherwise mocking kind of way—it shapes your sense of self and what you’re capable of doing in the world.”

View the original article to see embedded media.

In January, Gladstone won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)—becoming the first Indigenous winner in that category. She was also the first Native American actress to earn a Best Actress Oscar nomination.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs Team Up With NFL for Major Donation to Parade Shooting Victims