For too long Bristol's Art Scene has been blighted by The Bristol Savages. Their name is a reference to Native American people historically being called savages, which is reinforced by their logo, a stereotypical drawing of a Native American man wearing a war bonnet. They call their lodge house 'The Wigwam'. This is an all-male group which describes itself as 'a Private Members Club concerned with the pursuit of the Fine Arts, Painting, Music, Poetry, other Performing Arts and Good Fellowship.' Their lodge house is part of the Red Lodge which is owned by Bristol City Council, who benefit from Arts Council Funding.

(For clarity on the relationship between Bristol City Council and 'Bristol Savages' we share this from The Red Lodge Wikipedia Page: In 1919, James Fuller Eberle saved the Red Lodge's historic interior from being pulled apart and sold piecemeal by buying the building for the Bristol Savages and the Bristol Corporation. The Savages couldn't cope with the upkeep of the whole historic building, so CFW Dening built the Wigwam in the garden in 1920 and converted the Victorian Laundry into their studio, leaving the bulk of the Tudor, Georgian and Victorian building to the Corporation, which became Bristol City Council. Who later opened it as a museum.)

In the many years that the people have called for this organisation to change their name, they have had ample time to research why this naming is insensitive. They cannot be unaware of the genocide and land theft that the English committed against the Native American people.

We believe that now is the time for them to change their racist name and racist iconography. As Bristol has made international news taking down one symbol of white supremacy, we call for this public display of racism also be stopped.

In addition, we call for them to donate to the Navajo and Hopi COVID Relief Fund as reparations for benefiting from Indigenous cultures for so long.  
https://www.navajohopisolidarity.org/