Board Game Arena

Given this game is still in Beta, perhaps there is still time to change the name and theme. Respectfully, using the reference to "Indian Chief" along with the headdress icon, etc. is culturally insensitive. I would argue that the inclusion of these items is not critical to the gameplay so can be replaced. Hopefully the design team can find an alternative.

Agreed

What do you want it to be replaced with and how would you make it less "offensive"?

Seems like a simple fix - you could name it after any of the other melds in the game, such as Beggar Man, or you could make it a different kind of chief to fit the rhyme scheme. Supposedly some versions of the rhyme say "pirate chief".
The most minor and effective fix might just be to keep the name the same but change the icon art. Like, I feel like the most offensive part is probably the stereotypical feathered headdress.

All that said, we should probably ask someone actually affected. They would know best.

*moderators removed post for inappropriate content

Thanks for raising this topic. I agree that the game is at best culturally insensitive. But actually it's not a stretch to acknowledge the well discussed racism of calling native Americans "American Indians", given it's colonial roots. This is a well documented systemic issue in the United States.

I'm writing as a white European. I agree with the suggestion to take a steer from folks with lived experience. Here's one article that I read a few ways back that stayed with me and I think does a good job of explaining the harm being felt today. It's written by a young adult in 2018. They are Dena’ina Athabascan and Unangan (Aleutian), an Alaska Native living in California. This is almost 10 years after this game rules were added to BGG. So the game does not pre-date advocacy work around cultural appropriation.

https://share.google/IDUg92EDDy2UZPAk3