Yeti drops “Tribe” from branding

After an online petition gathered over 1,000 signatures, Yeti Cycles is dropping the word “Tribe” from its branding. The Colorado-based mountain bike company has used the term for decades for its “Yeti Tribe Gatherings.”

Yeti’s statement was shared across its social media accounts. In it, the company says the decision comes after “discussion with members of the indigenous community, studying accurate representations of our shared history, and reflecting on our values as a company.”

Yeti did provide a brief explanation for dropping the term. The statement says its discussions taught the company that “the word “Tribe” is a colonial construct that was used to marginalize Native Americans and its continued use by non-indigenous people fails to accurately recognize their history and unique status as Tribal Nations.”

The decision closely follows Washington’s NFL team announced that it will finally drop Redskins as the team name. Washington’s NFL team one of several U.S. and Canadian pro franchises that face pressure change team names. For years, advocates have said the names are offensive to indigenous communities. Now, Yeti has been included in that group.

If you are unsure why “Tribe” is considered offensive, the Change.org petition includes an extensive history of the term. It covers the history and current usage of the word. It also explains why the indigenous community objects to it being used by non-indigenous groups, such as Yeti.

Yeti’s Gatherings will continue but without the word Tribe. The brand has not stated if it will adopt a new name for its community of Yeti owners and riders.

Read Yeti’s full statement below:

When Yeti Cycles started thirty-five years ago, the founders felt strongly about building a community that was founded on racing and the belief that mountain bikes make us better people. We shared this with our friends at the races, at festivals and ultimately at Yeti Tribe Gatherings, where hundreds gather each year to ride epic trails, and enjoy the camaraderie of post-ride beers and stories together.

We’ve referred to this crew as the Yeti Tribe – a community of people who love to ride mountain bikes. The notion of tribe was appealing to us because it was community-centric, familial, and had strong social values.

Recently, we’ve learned our use of the term “Tribe” can be offensive to indigenous people, due to the violent history they have endured in the United States.  The word “Tribe” is a colonial construct that was used to marginalize Native Americans and its continued use by non-indigenous people fails to accurately recognize their history and unique status as Tribal Nations.

After discussion with members of the indigenous community, studying accurate representations of our shared history, and reflecting on our values as a company, Yeti Cycles has decided we will no longer use the term “Tribe” in our marketing.

The community we have built will move forward and thrive. Yeti Gatherings will continue to be our most valued events of the year. We have walked away from a word, but the soul of our community remains intact. We ask you all to join us in embracing this change.

Thanks to the mountain bike community for your guidance and especially to the members of the indigenous community for educating us on this issue.

See you on the trail.

Chris + Hoog