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Chief of Cherokee Nation calls on Jeep to stop using tribe’s name

Company says name was chosen to honor and celebrate Native Americans

DETROIT – It is time for Jeep to stop using the Cherokee Nation’s name on its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs, the chief of the Oklahoma-based tribe said.

In a recent interview the chief of the Cherokee Nation says it should be time for a change and that comes as the company is set to roll out the next generation of the SUV.

Cherokee chief: Time for Jeep to end use of tribe’s name

Kristin Starnes, a spokeswoman for Jeep’s parent company, Amsterdam-based Stellantis, said in a statement that the vehicle name was carefully selected “and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess and pride.”

She didn’t say whether the company was considering renaming the vehicles and didn’t immediately reply to an email requesting that information.

Both vehicles are among the most popular SUVs on the market.

“I am saying categorically that it is wrong to use our name to peddle a vehicle,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, Chuck Hoskin Jr.

Read more: Automotive news