A Native American group threatened a national boycott of the Washington Commanders unless the NFL changed its name to the Washington Redskins. Here’s the whole story.
“Revitalize Its Relationship With the American Indian Community”
The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) wrote in a tweet that they sent a letter to the leaders of the Washington ‘Commanders’ football team formally requesting the team “revitalize its relationship with the American Indian community and rightfully change their name back to ‘The Redskins.’”
In 2020, the football team announced it was removing ‘Redskins’ from its name, following pressure from Native American organizations and some of the team’s sponsors.
There was resistance from the team’s owner, Daniel Snyder, who said he would never consider touching the Redskins logo.
However, when police in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd, it sparked national outrage over the issue of systemic racism.
“Revitalize Its Relationship With the American Indian Community”
With Floyd’s story in the news headlines, changing the football team’s name was given priority.
After being called the Washington Football Team for two years, the name officially changed to the Washington ‘Commanders’ in 2022.
Suzan Harjo, a 76-year-old who advocated the team’s name change, called the change “a huge step forward.” She said, “It’s not all right to use disparaging terms, derogatory names, slurs, images, and behaviors.”
Linguists and historians have debated the term’s origin, but some say the word ‘redskin’ didn’t start out as an insult.
Native Americans Say the Word Refers to the Grotesque Act of Hunting Down and Skinning Their Ancestors’ Scalps for Cash Bounties
However, to many Native Americans, the word refers to the grotesque act of hunting down and skinning their ancestors’ scalps for cash bounties.
NAGA addressed what they called “cancel culture” against the Native American population.
By changing the football team’s name, NAGA said the NFL was erasing Native Americans’ “steadfast role in American history, including serving as counselors to the Founding Fathers in the creation of the US Constitution.”
There is a petition online to “Reclaim the Name” Redskins. The petition says, “The name ‘Redskins’ carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance.”
“Isn’t It Amazing How Many Misguided People Are Offended on Behalf of Other People?”
The petition says that the word ‘redskin’ was never intended as a derogatory term. It ” honors the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture.”
One football fan on Facebook said, “Isn’t it amazing how many misguided people are offended on behalf of other people?”
She also blames cancel culture for the football team’s name change.
In their letter, NAGA talked about the history of the Washington football team and its relationship with the Native American community dating back to its 1933 season when they were named the Boston Redskins.
“Revitalize Its Relationship With the American Indian Community”
NAGA said the team could “revitalize its relationship with the American Indian community” by doing two things. First, change the team’s name back to ‘The Redskins’ which recognizes the first inhabitants of America.
Second, NAGA wants the team to use their historic name and legacy to encourage Americans to learn about the history of America’s tribes – not cancel it.
The group wants everyone to know the role the American Indian community played in the founding of the United States.
Their letter also threatened, “Should we need to encourage a national boycott similar to what happened with Anheuser Busch (Bud Light) which is now down $27 billion (note, not one brick thrown, not one highway blocked, not one bridge burned) – WE WILL DO JUST THAT.”
“If You Don’t Acknowledge History, We Are Doomed To Repeat It”
After a popular transgender influencer promoted a Bud Light contest on Instagram, calls for a boycott followed.
Because of the boycott, Bud Light’s sales dropped and two of its executives took a leave of absence. In a three month span, the world’s largest brewer’s revenue declined by 10.5%.
At the end of the letter to the Washington Commanders, NAGA vowed to stand their ground because “If you don’t acknowledge history, we are doomed to repeat it.”
The post Native American Uproar – ‘Redskins’ Return Demanded or Face Massive National Boycott! first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Steve Jacobson. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Daily Wire