Skins getting heat again over name issue

[SunnySide]

The Washington Post recently published an article which claimed that “the majority of Native Americans still aren’t offended by the name of Washington Redskins.” The article comes amid ongoing debate over whether the name of the US capital’s football team is racist.

Upon reading the poll’s findings, we quickly learn that the publication conducted this survey via phone with 500 “self-identified” Native Americans. The Post also profiled 12 of the participants who had various opinions on the mascot debate – with an emphasis on those who approve of the Washington Redskins. Curiously, the Post conducted this same survey in 2016.
Even if groups of self-identified Native Americans don’t find the term offensive, “redskins” is still racist on its face. Of the 12 profiled by WaPo, there was at least one authentic Native pointing to the fact that Natives often use the term “skins” to describe one another. This is similar to black communities reclaiming the n-word, but, likewise, not every Native person uses this word.



Should a team representing the capital of the United States really be embracing a racial slur? Washington DC is the historic gathering place for calls to action and protest centre of policy in America. The dictionary defines the term “redskins” as a racial slur, which should shut down any debate. Several Native organizations and tribes have petitioned the Washington Redskins to change their name.


Growing up on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, I wasn’t removed from my culture and community. Being rooted in heritage meant my education started with elders passing on oral history, including language used to dehumanize our ancestors. My tribe doesn’t identify as “redskins”. This is a derogatory term coined by colonialists often historically used interchangeably with “savages”.

We don’t need polls to ascertain that racial slurs are offensive. We don’t even need to compare them to “the n-word” to illustrate they’re plain wrong. What is the point of polls on the topic? They discredit work Indigenous activists have done championing for change and progression. Polls also erase Native voices who continue speaking out using the hashtag #NotYourMascot. Washington DC is supposed to be a progressive and tolerant city, yet this issue comes up for rigorous debate every few years.

While other organizations in the United States have listened to Native activists and gotten rid of offensive mascot names, a sports team representing our nation’s capitol proudly flies racism. Hiding behind “self-identified” Native Americans urging nations deeply rooted in community to get over it represents everything that is Washington DC. Not just in the era of Trump, either. We still have a lot of work to do.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices...-a9058881.html