Controversy involving the name and logo of the Washington Redskins NFL team, Toggle Responses to the controversy subsection, Native American opinion in support of Redskins name. "[37][38] Sociologist James V. Fenelon makes a more explicit statement that Goddard's article is poor scholarship, given that the conclusion of the origin and usage by Natives as "entirely benign" is divorced from the socio-historical realities of hostility and racism from which it emerged. The Sentinels would mimic the fictional team from "The Replacements." [221], The number of high schools using the Redskins name has been in steady decline, 40% having had local efforts to change the name. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post), Feb. 2, 2022: Commanders announced as franchises new name, The team holds an event at FedEx Field to unveil the new name and logo, which still features the familiar burgundy and gold colors. While vocal opponents of change often threatened withdrawal of support, their research showed this had never materialized. 1972? NEWSMAX Thursday, July 20, 2023 | John Bachman - Facebook [5] The use of public opinion polling methods to measure the opinions of a small, diverse population was criticized by scholars, in particular the use of self-identification to select the individuals surveyed. The Great Redskins Name Debate of 1972? - The Washington Post U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly threw out the 1999 decision and ruled Harjo and her group had not produced enough evidence to show the name was so insulting that it could not be protected by a trademark. Here are five options for the Washington Redskins' name change, from Contrary to the Government's contention, trademarks are private, not government speech. It allows us to have some crazy uniforms. [7][8] FedEx called on the team to change its name on July 2, 2020. Fred Smoot also praised the name onNBC Sports Washington. For your consideration: Riverhawks: it is a unique, gender neutral, and apolitical name that pays homage to the integral part the Illinois River has played in the city's founding and success . Washington retires Redskins name "First off, Happy Thanksgiving, everybody," Snyder said before introducing Ron Rivera as Washington's coach Jan. 2. [100] In its amicus brief filed in the case, the NCAI states that the combined enrollment of its member tribes in 2013 was 1.2 million individuals. Says It's Not His Place To Comment on Redskins Name", "Prince George's County executive calls on Redskins to consider name change", "Leggett considers asking Montgomery council to join in call for renaming Redskins", "Martin O'Malley Says the Redskins Should Change Their Name", "Tug of war for new Redskins stadium is complicated by name debate", "In Campaign Against Racism, Team Names Get New Scrutiny", "The Washington Football Team Finally Has an Official Slur-Free Name", "Washington D.C.'s NFL Franchise to Retire 'Redskins' Name", "Investors Ask Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to Drop the Redskins", "Commanders merchandise in demand despite bumps in rollout", "More than a Mascot: Redskins High Schools", "California schools barred from using 'Redskins' as team name or mascot", "A Storm on the Horizon SNU Changes Nickname, Mascot", Contemporary Native American issues in the United States, Native American mascot laws and regulations, Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Washington_Redskins_name_controversy&oldid=1165136798, 20th-century controversies in the United States, Anti-indigenous racism in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 13 July 2023, at 06:31. [202] During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump defended the name. When a respondent identified themselves as Native American, both polls asked, "The professional football team in Washington calls itself the Washington Redskins. Give us the Washington #Redwolves #HTTR #HTTRedwolves pic.twitter.com/1gDms73vSK, The RedWolves is a name that started gaining traction from fans late in the process. Then-team president Bruce Allen noted that three high schools with a Native American-majority student body used the name. [citation needed], College teams that had been Redskins changed their names voluntarily decades ago, including: the University of Utah became the Utah Utes in 1972; Miami University became the RedHawks in 1997;[225] and the Southern Nazarene University became the Crimson Storm in 1998.[226]. In 2020, the team responded to economic pressure in the wake of widespread recognition of systemic racism by retiring the name and logo. [89], The majority of scholars argue that the use of any stereotype, whether positive or negative, is a hindrance to the advancement of the targeted group. Capitols +600 In response, Daniel Snyder told USA Today: "We'll never change the name. Unhappy with the fan support for his team in Boston, Marshall moved the Redskins to Washington, where he previously made his money to become an NFL owner in 1932 by running a chain of laundromats. Jeffersons +700 [2] The topic, part of the larger Native American mascot controversy, began receiving widespread public attention in the 1990s. FedEx has the naming rights to the team's home stadium, FedEx Field, through a deal that runs through 2025. Generals +400 Of the fourteen individuals, five are members of the Chippewa Cree tribe on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in Montana and are associated with the Team Redskins Rodeo club. [174][175][176] were particularly influential. It is worth pointing out that Snydertrademarked the name "Washington Warriors" in 2000. I would bet big money on the Warriors being the new name for the football team.. [150], FedEx owns the naming rights to the team's stadium, FedExField, through 2026, and had been the only corporate sponsor officially subject to boycotts by Native Americans: the Osage Nation, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes, the largest tribe of Native Alaskan peoples. It is a historical fact that Indians were mistreated asAmerica migrated across the U.S, as were blacks, Asians, Polish and Italians. After she moved to Washington, she and . The meaning of the term "redskin" was addressed in two cases challenging the trademark registrations held by Pro-Football, Inc., the team's corporate entity. The National Football League's Washington franchise unveiled its new team name on Wednesday - the Washington Commanders. Richard Lapchick, director emeritus of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, wrote: "Could you imagine people mocking African Americans in black face at a game? Their comparison of NFL teams showed the highest negative trend in brand equity affected the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs, which called into question the business logic of retaining Native American names or logos that are offensive to even a minority. We say to [team owner] Jack Kent Cooke, this is 1992, said Vernon Bellecourt, the director of the American Indian Movement. [121] The NAACP issued their own press release supporting the TTAB decision stating "The NAACP has called specifically for this name change since 1992, and will continue to stand with the Native Indian community until the derogatory moniker has been changed. Picketing resumed for the 2014 season in Glendale, Arizona, when the team played the Arizona Cardinals,[145] and again the largest rally was in Minneapolis,[146] where estimates of the number of protestors was between 3,500 and 5,000. Prominent Native American activist says yes", "Russell Means, Indian Activist and Fighting Sioux Nickname Critic, Dies at 72", "Full text: Resolution on the changing of the Washington Redskins name", "Civil rights coalition asks Washington Redskins to change name", "Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Patent Office Decision on Washington Football Team Name", "NAACP Statement on the U.S. Patent and Trade Office Decision to Cancel the Washington Football Team's Trademark", "Civil rights group closely allied with the NFL calls for the Redskins to change its name", "ADL Signs Letter Urging Broadcasters To Avoid Using The Name 'Redskins', "U.S. Jewish Reform Groups Call on NFL's Washington Redskins to Change Name", "Cleveland church calls on Washington Redskins to change name, logo", "Sidwell Friends School Bans 'Redskins' Clothing", "Green Acres School in Md. By midcentury, remarks about skin color and the categorization of peoples by simple color-coded labels (red, white, black) had become commonplace. The design of the new "crest" combines elements of the team's history and its connection to the city of Washington. [158][159] In February 2018, following the announcement by MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred that the Cleveland Indians would remove their Chief Wahoo logo from the stadium and uniforms, Goodell stated that the Redskins name and logo would remain, primarily citing the 2016 Washington Post opinion poll. [83] The unofficial mascot of the Redskins team was Zema Williams (aka Chief Zee), an African American man who attended games for 38 years beginning in 1978 dressed in a red faux "Indian" costume, complete with feathered war bonnet and rubber tomahawk. Change the name of the Morris High School mascot from "Redskins" to [181], On November 25, 2013, as part of the NFL's "Salute to Service" month and Native American Heritage month, the Washington Redskins recognized four members of the Navajo Code Talkers Association briefly during a commercial break. [78] This effect is enhanced due to the invisibility of Native Americans in mainstream society and media, leaving stereotypes as the primary basis for thinking about the abilities and traits associated with Natives, including the roles and opportunities Natives Americans envision for themselves. [90] The national organizations representing several academic disciplines, after reviewing the research done on the issue, have passed resolutions calling for the end of all Native American mascots and images in sports. [106] In April 2014, Navajo Nation Council voted in favor of a statement opposing the name of the Washington team, as well as other disparaging references to American Indians by other professional sports franchises. "Native Americans are spiritual"), they may have a limiting, detrimental effect on individuals. Lots of people, especially many Native Americans, loathe the name of the Washington, D.C., NFL team, the Redskins. CNN . The Washington Football Team announces its new team name, the Washington Commanders, at FedEx Field. If followed, it undermines the concept of equal opportunity and will result in undermining the founding principles of the United States.