In the latest episode of Peacemaker Season 2, titled “Need I Say Door,” we get to find out a lot more about Red St. Wild (Michael Rooker), aka “Captain Cultural Appropriation” as he’s called in the hour. However, it’s possible that there was a little more cultural appropriation than expected, as — spoilers past this point — a drawing used to depict the “primal eagle” is eerily similar to the official logo of the Anishinabek Nation.
As spotted by TikTok user The High Ground, in the episode Red St. Wild comes to believe — thanks to a lie from John Economos (Steve Agee) — that he has a line on killing the Primal Eagle, an eagle from which all other eagles draw their power, whose death will somehow purge all of the United States’ transgressions against Indigenous people. And in a closing montage, Red St. Wild takes off most of his clothes as “A Shot at Redemption” by H.e.a.t. plays on the soundtrack, dances in a pseudo-tribal dance, and then drips the blood on his head in a design he’s drawn on the ground in dirt.
Red St. Wild then draws the same symbol in blood on his forehead, and summoning mystical forces, he’s able to track Peacemaker’s (John Cena) best friend Eagly to the shack they’re hiding out at. Red St. Wild has found what he thinks is the Primal Eagle, and is ready to go kill him in the next episode. Uh oh!
Slightly more potentially “uh oh” is what is pointed out in the TikTok: that the symbol Red St. Wild draws is incredibly similar to the Thunderbird logo of the Anishinabek Nation. Also known as the Union of Ontario Indians, the organization was formed in 1949 and currently includes 39 First Nations for which it works as a political advocate. The Thunderbird logo itself was first created in the 1970s by Nick Deleary.
The Anishinabek Nation is not credited in the closing credits of the episode, nor is any reference made to the Thunderbird logo specifically. The issue floated in the comments on that TikTok is that they believe one needs permission from the Nation to use the logo… As recently as 2021, Anishinabe Lacrosse touted they had “been officially granted permission to use the logo of the Anishinabek Nation on all jerseys, team apparel and equipment” for that year’s World Junior Lacrosse Championships in Winnipeg.
However, at least according to the Anishinabek Nation, this isn’t actually an issue at all. As Marci Becking, the Director of Communications for the Anishinabek Nation and Managing Editor of the Anishinabek News, told Comic Book Club, while nobody from HBO Max nor DC Studios reached out to them, they only have the copyright to the Thunderbird which looks exactly like the one below:
“The Thunderbird is a Doodem (Clan) that may be drawn in various ways,” Becking explained. “We don’t feel like there is any direct copyright infringement in this case.”
And there are differences between the symbol seen in Peacemaker and the actual logo. The Anishinabek logo uses thicker lines and has a little dot for an eye for the eagle. There’s also a circle around it that isn’t used in Peacemaker. But the general design, including the triangle in the middle, the direction of the eagle’s beak, and even the number of “feathers,” is similar.
While you can find plenty of unauthorized usages online and off, one would think that if a Junior Lacrosse team asked for permission, HBO Max might as well. But hey, if it’s fine with the Anishinabek Nation, it’s fine with us!
This article has been updated as of September 18, 2025 to include a statement from the Anishinabek Nation.
Peacemaker Season 2 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
Peacemaker season 2 premiered on HBO Max on Thursday, August 21. The season will be eight episodes long, with one episode premiering per week.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Peacemaker Season 2, with premiere dates:
- Thursday, August 21, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 1
- Thursday, August 28, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 2
- Thursday, September 4, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 3
- Thursday, September 11, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 4
- Thursday, September 18, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 5
- Thursday, September 25, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 6
- Thursday, October 2, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 7
- Thursday, October 9, 2025: Peacemaker, Season 2, Episode 8 *Season Finale*
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