The Change the Mascot campaign in Washington

Photo taken by Andrew Harnik

National Society of American Indians President, Brian 

Cladoosby, speaks at a Change the Mascot campaign  

press conference on Capitol Hill.

Critics of the Washington Redskins' name have been rallying against the team for quite some time now, but recently they've gained momentum by taking advantage of the NFL's negative spotlight. This story pertains to our FYS class because of what is causing the opposition. An advocacy group including members of Congress, American Indian groups, and civil rights and religious groups, wrote letters to 31 NFL teams expressing their displeasure with the Redskins' team name. The letter states that, "in a country and sports fan base that is becoming ever more diverse, Mr. Snyder is jeopardizing the welfare of the league by promoting an epithet against people of color."

There are many Native American organizations and tribes who wish for the name to be changed, but there is very scarce evidence supporting a majority opinion. The Redskins franchise conducted a national survey in 2004 and found that 90% of self-identified Native Americans did not find the name offensive. There have been no national surveys conducted since then to show if attitudes have changed, however.

The Redskins' owner, Dan Snyder, claims that the he will not change the name of his football team, as it is used in a way that honers American Indians. I suspect that within the next 10 years or so, Mr. Snyder will have no other choice than to change the name. According to the Washington Times, Senator Maria Cantwell is already planning to introduce a bill that would "strip the NFL of its tax-exempt status if it allows the team to keep its name." I don't think that the league would take that risk in order to save the Redskins name, especially in a society where people don't take racial slurs lightly.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/16/redskins-name-change-movement-heads-capitol-hill/?page=2
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/new-poll-says-large-majority-of-americans-believe-redskins-should-not-change-name/2014/09/02/496e3dd0-32e0-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html