‘Jeep Grand Christopher sounds good’: Twitter split after Cherokee Nation chief asks carmaker to stop ‘honoring’ his tribe – By Russia Today Staff (Russia Today) / Feb 23 2021
Naming a vehicle after a Native American tribe is wrong even if the intentions were good, the Cherokee Nation principal chief has said, and Twitter has some ideas for what to call Jeep SUVs instead.
Jeep Cherokee SUVs have been produced since 1974, and in the early 1990s, Chrysler (now part of the Netherlands-based company Stellantis) added the luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee model line to its range. Chuck Hoskin, who heads the largest of the three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes in the US, believes his people’s name should not be “plastered on the side of a car,” regardless of the motives for putting it there.
“The best way to honor us is to learn about our sovereign government, our role in this country, our history, culture, and language and have meaningful dialogue with federally recognized tribes on cultural appropriateness,” he told Car and Driver outlet.
Responding to the sentiment, Jeep’s parent company Stellantis said its vehicles’ names “have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess, and pride.” It added it was committed to dialogue with the Cherokee Nation.
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