With 171 retail stores across the United States and Canada, Bass Pro Shops, a retailer that sells equipment and gear for camping, hunting and fishing is under a bit of social media heat for selling a $1,600 Winchester rifle (Model #9422) that has “Cherokee” on the packaging as well as imagery of members of the Cherokee Nation being led away by soldiers on the Cherokee Trail of Tears.
“At @BassProShops in NW Arkansas looking for fly rods and I spotted this: a @winchester “Cherokee Trail of Tears,” rifle. See the white soldiers with their guns pushing the Native Americans out?
And this is in a store. In America. In 2018. Yeah… I won’t be buying from Bass Pro.”
Seth Haines@sethhainesAt @BassProShops in NW Arkansas looking for fly rods and I spotted this: a @winchester “Cherokee Trail of Tears,” rifle. See the white soldiers with their guns pushing the Native Americans out?
And this is in a store. In America. In 2018. Yeah… I won’t be buying from Bass Pro.
Haines also mentioned in his thread that the rifle was part of the ‘Gun Library’ and that the rifle had originally been sold by Cabella’s as is indicated by the name on the trigger lock.
Many responded to Haines’ tweet.
Jason Millwood wrote: “My dad’s great great grandparents died on the trail, this is sickening how it’s celebrated.”
Louie Sheridan Jr wrote: “This an absolute outrage! Trying to profit off of the genocide that was propagated by the US govt. What is your response@BassProShops ? Have you no clue that the @CherokeeNation itself is relatively local to you?”
Bass Pro Shops has not yet responded to Indian Country Today’s request for comment over the weekend.
Follow Indian Country Today’s associate editor Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk) on Twitter – @VinceSchilling
