The Washington Redskins of the National Football League are being encouraged to change the team’s nickname, ‘the Redskins’, that has identified the popular professional team since the franchise started as Boston Redskins way back in 1932.
After almost a century of being the Redskins, what’s all the fuss about today? Why should a small, but vocal, group of protesters garner so much national attention over an issue that matters not in the least to the vast majority of the people that call themselves ‘Native Americans’.
In fact a survey conducted back in 2004 revealed that over 90% of the Native Americans interviewed had no problem with the Washington football calling themselves the ‘Redskins’. Why should they?
We haven’t heard from any radical groups of African Americans calling for the Chicago Blackhawks to change their name. Nor has the Catholic Church said anything to the City of New Orleans about the Saints.
But now, during the NBA Finals, of all places, we are subjected to commercials decrying the use of the name Redskins as the nickname of the Washington DC area NFL team. The “Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation” way out in California purchased a 60 second spot on national TV to state their case.
They called it “Proud to Be”, but you know what? There are a lot of people in the DC area who are also proud to be called Redskins. In fact, former team owner Jack Kent Cooke said, “I admire the Redskins name. I think it stands for bravery, courage, and a stalwart spirit and I see no reason why we shouldn’t continue to use it.”
It should also be noted that there are at least three predominantly Native American High Schools in America that use the nickname Redskins. Would you like to have your cake, or would you like to eat it? You can’t have it both ways.
One other little thing that the commercial landed way off base on; at the end of the 60 second piece, they displayed a ChangeTheMascot.org. Well, take a good look. The Washington DC based football does not even have a ‘mascot’ per say. They use the Redskins nickname, but there is no redskined ‘mascot’ that I have seen.
Dan Snyder, the current owner of the DC franchise, has stated repeatedly that he will not even consider changing the Redskins nickname. After all, it’s his football team and we are still in America. Who’s going to make him?
