Philip Yenyo

Philip Yenyo
Born
Philip John Yenyo

(1965-10-26) 26 October 1965 (age 59)[1]
Cleveland, Ohio US
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Former Executive director of the American Indian Movement of Ohio chapter
Activist
Years active1993–7 April 2021
Organization(s)American Indian Movement
Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance
RelativesEdward Yenyo (brother)[1]
Michele Marie Yenyo (sister)[1]
WebsiteAmerican Indian Movement of Ohio

Philip Yenyo is a Native American civil rights activist. He is one of several prominent activists to spearhead the movement against the use of Native American imagery as sports mascots.

Early life

Philip John Yenyo was born on 26 October 1965 to Adeline Ramirez (mother, Spanish Mexican) and John Yenyo (father, Hungarian) in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.[1] He has identified as Cherokee and Mexica,[2] although his family genealogy does not show any American Indian / Native American lineage.[1]

Career

Yenyo currently claims to be executive director of the state of Ohio's chapter of the American Indian Movement (Ohio AIM).[3] He is a former co-chair for The Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance.[4] The latter organization serves as an indigenous-supportive, multicultural organization dedicated to bolstering the cultural human heritage rights of indigenous people who live in the Northeast Ohio region.[5]

On May 13, 2021, Yenyo was informed by the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council (AIM GCC) that Ohio AIM was unsanctioned. In a letter signed by Lisa Bellanger (Executive Director of AIM GCC) and Frank Paro (President of AIM GCC), and posted to Facebook, Yenyo was told to cease and desist from using the American Indian Movement name or representing himself as affiliated with AIM Ohio, due to "Continued verbal attacks and lateral attacks of women leadership with the AIMGCC via social media and radio shows."[6]

It has also been determined that Philip J. Yenyo has no authorization from AIM National and AIMGCC to speak, act or organize on behalf of the AIMGCC or AIM National. AIM National and AIMGCC orders [sic] Philip J. Yenyo to Cease and Desist any act representing the AIMGCC. The behavior, actions and attacks taken by Philip J. Yenyo is viewed as dishonorable, divisive, and slanderous.[6]

As of October 2021, Yenyo continues to represent himself on Facebook as a leader of the American Indian Movement and accept donations.[7]

Activism

Yenyo has dedicated a significant portion of resources to protesting the use of Chief Wahoo mascot by the Cleveland Indians. "I would like to see the name and logo changed. Both have to go."[8] Of the logo, Yenyo has stated, "But I think our people and others have come to realize that this caricature of our people as a red-face, smiling savage does great harm to us and our culture and has done so for many years."[9] "This imagery, most sports teams are named after animals and they put us in that same category. We're human beings. We're still a living culture and we still exist."[10] He has also explicated on the exploitation of other items of sacred significance to American Indian. "When we tell people that the feather is sacred to us, it's a sacred as a Christian cross, some of them start to come around and start understanding," he said. "When you start to explain to people how it affects us as a people and it puts us in a category with animals, they begin to see our side."[11]


See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Julius Jenyo". Genealogy. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Changing the narrative: Future Ohio state park aims to tell the accurate history of Tecumseh and the Shawnee people". 17 November 2021.
  3. ^ Withers, Tom (10 April 2015). "Indians fans face protest at home opener: 'We are people, not your mascots'". Washington Times. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  4. ^ "VIDEOS: How Do You Feel About Chief Wahoo? AIM's Philip Yenyo & City Council's Zack Reed". Cool Cleveland. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  5. ^ Shilling, Vincent (17 April 2012). "Standing Up And Staying Put: Four Decades of Protesting the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b "American Indian Education Center". American Indian Education Center Facebook page. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  7. ^ "American Indian Movement of Ohio". American Indian Movement of Ohio Facebook page. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  8. ^ McGraw, Daniel (11 April 2015). "New push to eliminate Chief Wahoo as Indians mascot". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  9. ^ "New push to eliminate Chief Wahoo as Indians mascot". Raycom Group. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  10. ^ Withers, Tom (10 April 2015). "Protesters call for Indians to change nickname, logo". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  11. ^ Gase, Zach (12 April 2015). "Protestors want Indians to change nickname, logo". Cleveland SunTimes. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.