The Redskins Commercial the NFL does not want us to see

[KillerKat]

I think the best solution is to hold a nation wide vote on it by only Natives.

[imminent rogaine]

 

I haven't seen anyone mention that it is very "ironic" that Native Americans (Inuits) were treated poorly by "Washington" historically. They broke treaties with almost every tribe they made agreements with. So, now, they are "honored" by being "represented" by a football team located in the great capital city that is named a racial slur. Why wouldn't natives feel honored?

 

 

Inuits are a select group of Native Americans. They are more or less what we would call Eskimos. Your point is still very valid though; throughout the history of the US, Native Americans have been some of the most oppressed peoples. From genocide and forced migration to more recent sterilization programs, Washington's legislations and policies haven't exactly been too friendly to Natives.

 

Then again, the US doesn't have a great track record with people darker than "Country Beige" on the pain-chip index.

[Ricky Spanish]

1) I don't think black people is similar at all.  I don't know anyone that considers black people a racial slur, just potentially insulting as it categories based on skin color... but I know several native americans that consider redskins a racial slur.

2) Nobody is going to name a national football team "The Blackskins," "The Blacks", "Negroes," or even "Black People."

3) It's not just some extremely small vocal minority, it's quite a sizable portion of native americans.  see this list from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Redskins_name_controversy#Native_Americans_and_organizations_opposed:

The following groups have passed resolutions or issued statements regarding their opposition to the name of the Washington NFL team:

Tribes

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians[148]

Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma[148]

Comanche Nation of Oklahoma[148]

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Washington)[148]

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Michigan)

Hoh Indian Tribe[149]

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona[150]

Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes[151]

Juaneño Band of Mission Indians (California)[148]

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Michigan)

Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe (Michigan)[152]

Menominee Tribe of Indians (Wisconsin)[148]

Oneida Indian Nation (New York)[153]

Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin[148]

Navajo Nation Council[92]

Penobscot Nation[154]

Poarch Band of Creek Indians[155]

Samish Indian Nation (Washington)[156]

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan)[157]

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Idaho)[158]

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (North Dakota)

The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (North Dakota)[159]

United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)[160]

Organizations

Advocates for American Indian Children (California)

American Indian Mental Health Association (Minnesota)

American Indian Movement[161]

American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center of San Bernardino County

American Indian Student Services at the Ohio State University

American Indian High Education Consortium

American Indian College Fund

Americans for Indian Opportunity

Association on American Indian Affairs

Buncombe County Native American Inter-tribal Association (North Carolina)

Capitol Area Indian Resources (Sacramento, CA)

Concerned American Indian Parents (Minnesota)

Council for Indigenous North Americans (University of Southern Maine)

Eagle and Condor Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance

First Peoples Worldwide

Fontana Native American Indian Center, Inc. (California)

Governor’s Interstate Indian Council

Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission

Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (Wisconsin)

HONOR – Honor Our Neighbors Origins and Rights

Kansas Association for Native American Education

Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs

Medicine Wheel Inter-tribal Association (Louisiana)

Minnesota Indian Education Association

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

National Indian Child Welfare Association

National Indian Education Association

National Indian Youth Council

National Native American Law Student Association

Native American Caucus of the California Democratic Party

Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA)[162]

Native American Journalists Association[163]

Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio

Native American Journalists Association

Native American Rights Fund (NARF)

Native Voice Network

Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi (Michigan)

North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs

North Dakota Indian Education Association

Office of Native American Ministry, Diocese of Grand Rapids (Michigan)

Ohio Center for Native American Affairs

San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Native American Community Council

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas

Southern California Indian Center

St. Cloud State University – American Indian Center

Tennessee Chapter of the National Coalition for the Preservation of Indigenous Cultures

Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs

Tennessee Native Veterans Society

Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism[164]

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Unified Coalition for American Indian Concerns, Virginia

The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma

Virginia American Indian Cultural Resource Center

Wisconsin Indian Education Association

WIEA “Indian” Mascot and Logo Taskforce (Wisconsin)

Woodland Indian Community Center-Lansing (Michigan)

Youth “Indian” Mascot and Logo Task force (Wisconsin)

Individuals

These prominent Native Americans have put their opposition to the Redskins' name on the public record:

Sherman Alexie (author, Spokane)[165]

Notah Begay (Navajo, PGA pro golfer) called the Redskins' name "a very clear example of institutionalized degradation of an ethnic minority."[166]

Clyde Bellecourt (Ojibwe, co-founder of the American Indian Movement)[167]

Bob Burns (Blackfeet elder)[168]

Vine Deloria, Jr. (Sioux, historian/author)[169]

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne, U.S. Senator)[170]

Kevin Gover (Pawnee, director of The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian)[171]

Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee, author/activist)[172]

Litefoot (Cherokee/Chichimeca, rapper) ironically celebrates Native American team names as "recreational genocide" on the track 'Stereotipik'.[173]

Russell Means (Oglala Lakota, activist/actor)[174]

Billy Mills (Sioux, Olympic gold medal winner)[175]

Ted Nolan (First Nations Ojibway, NHL player and coach)[176]

Buford Rolin (Creek tribal chairman)[177]

Shoni Schimmel (Umatilla, Louisville Cardinals guard, class of 2015)[178]

Charlene Teters (Spokane, artist/lecturer)[179]

W. Richard West Jr. (Cheyenne) - President of the Autry National Center in Los Angeles: Redskin is "an openly derogatory term. It always is and it always has been.” West also characterizes the Original American's Foundation as an "attempt to divert attention from the fact that his team’s nickname is coming under increasing heat from people who think it’s an offensive racial term."[180] 

 

Fair points all around. I still maintain my original stance. If it offends the majority change it, if not, don't.

[Matthias]

Though we should break this down.  Ownership and fans of the team only want to keep the name because of money and tradition.  If it weren't for those things, they would agree with everyone else that the name should be changed.  The name is going to be changed, and Washington fans and ownership will fall on the wrong side of history.

[Murph]

A lot of white guilt in this thread. This is such a waste of time for a "I feel better about myself for supporting this issue" that is the current media flavor of the month. Y'all have fun with your protests and complaining.

 

[TheRed]

A lot of white guilt in this thread. This is such a waste of time for a "I feel better about myself for supporting this issue" that is the current media flavor of the month. Y'all have fun with your protests and complaining.

 

Sounds like a typical conservative response.

[seafmb]

Washington...DEAD_SKINS.....??

[fjblair]

I am much more offended by the Dallas Cowboys.

[Pox 08]

Washington Rainbows.

[Mark S]

It's time for the Washington franchise to move on...

[SmootsDaddy89]

It's a name of a team.

They aren't targeting natives, and bashing them. They aren't saying bad things.

It's a fricken name.

If they don't call themselves redskins, all the more reason why they shouldn't be offended.

Unfortunately, this is the age where if you are offended, you can make money.

You can even cost a family man his job cause you're easily offended, and have to prove who the biggest asshole is.

While you get to stroke your wounded fricken ego, a long career has come to an unexpected end. Costing the family far more than some hurt feelings.

All that being said, there is better names the Washington franchise can come up with.

Let's play pretend.

 

 

Say Walmart changes their slogan from "poo on your employees while pretending you wouldn't literally murder your customers and take their money if you could get it legalized." err wait, that's not right.

 

 

Okay, they change it from "Save money, live better" to "Pantherclaw is a dumb, inbred piece of poo,"

 

Now, you don't refer to yourself in that manner, so if a nationally recognized corporation did, that won't bother you right? Millions of people thinking "Heh, pantherclaw boned his sister" isn't going to make you want them to change their brand?

 

As long as they tell you that they don't INTEND for it to sound offensive, and that you should be thrilled that you're being represented by a billion dollar corporation, it's cool, right?

 

Because if it would bother you, then I guess you're just a big, pussy liberal.

[PiratePanther189]

Media pressure will eventually get worse as the seasons of them not changing the name mount, and the NFL will eventually get sick and tired of the bad press. There are examples of this happening in the past (See Washington Bullets)

 

The name will eventually change.

[SmootsDaddy89]

Anyway, my vote is for Washington Daterapists.

[dunnlx]

those who think DC is full of rednecks have never lived in DC

Lol, they damn sure haven't.

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