SportsPulse: Although it looks like the Washington NFL team is finally developing its racist nickname. There are other great sports teams whose nickname origins are linked to America’s culturally insensitive past.
UNITED STATES TODAY
On Monday, 15 Native American organizations, supporters and writers signed a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking him to force the Washington NFL team to change its name. More than 450 other groups expressed their support on Wednesday.
In addition to changing the name, the letter asked the NFL to force the team to stop using Native American images, to stop using surveys to justify the continued use of the name, and to ban the use of native images of the league.
The Washington team’s name has been controversial for decades, and in 2006 Navajo social worker Amanda Blackhorse was the complainant named in a federal lawsuit seeking to withdraw federal trademark rights from Daniel Snyder’s team. But as national conversations about systemic racism intensified after the deaths of George Floyd and others, many Aboriginal leaders believe that change may soon come.
Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of a non-profit Indigenous rights group called IllumiNative, recently launched a campaign called “The Time Is Now” advocating for a name change and has already seen results – like the letter to Goodell.
“Nothing has happened yet,” said Echo Hawk. “But it’s the closest, I think, that indigenous peoples have come for almost 30 years.”
Among those justifying the team’s name, the National Elenberg Election Survey of 2004 and a Washington Post survey of 2016 are widely cited as polls which found that 90% of Aboriginal respondents were not bothered by the name of the team.
However, Aboriginal groups and researchers say there is more in history. Harvard professor Joseph Gone was part of a research team that compiled academic studies on Native American mascots. Although the studies have examined different names, logos and images, none of them have found that these logos have a positive impact on Native Americans. Gone pointed out that no study can quantify the impacts of each mascot used, but that overwhelming evidence has shown a negative impact. More specifically, Native American mascots lead to more stereotypes by non-Aboriginals and a lower self-esteem of Aboriginals.
“In light of this evidence, there is reason to doubt that democratization, or a simple survey of opinions and of the majority of people should prevail, is the right way to go, as this evidence suggests that there is has negative impacts, “said Gone. “… So it’s not really a question of how many people agree or disagree, it’s proof.”
In addition to the letter from Indigenous organizations, a group called Athletes for Impact also wrote a letter to the NFL and the Washington team highlighting the results of the research studies and calling for a complete ban on mascots and names. Aboriginal team as well as racist behavior. by the fans. The letter was signed by Indigenous and Indigenous athletes, including golfer Notah Begay III, track athlete Rosalie Fish and boxer Shiloh LeBeau. Other notable signatories included WNBA players Layshia Clarendon, Kelsey Plum and Katie Lou Samuelson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Olympians Hilary Knight, Simone Manuel and Ibtihaj Muhammad, and NBA player Kyle Korver.
“As athletes, we know that sport has power and we have enormous influence and can inspire people of all ages,” the letter said. “As an intersectional collective of athletes representing a range of races, genders, sports and religions who are actively involved in movements for justice, we urge you to immediately end the use of Indigenous mascots in the NFL. “
Another letter calling for an end to the use of Native American mascots and team names, as well as racist fan behavior, was sent to the NFL by a group of singers, actors, directors and models, including Minnie Driver, Jewel and Mark Ruffalo.
For Echo Hawk, the increased public support, particularly from non-Aboriginals, shows how much the conversation has changed. While her organization’s demands go beyond a simple name change – she hopes for the end of native mascots everywhere, including in professional and college teams, as well as in K-12 schools, and apologies to the Native Americans for previous use of racist images – the recent momentum of his movement gives him hope for the future.
“I am really hopeful right now that more Americans are starting to be educated about why these things are harmful, why they are racist,” said Echo Hawk. “And we understand that there is an education to be done, but we see the bottom wave and we see, I think that the American public and the fans of sport will more and more stand alongside the Amerindians.”
