True honor will prevail: Redskins mascot is bound to go

Editorial | November 5th, 2014

Last Sunday, the country’s largest protest against the Washington Redskins’ nickname was held in Minneapolis prior to the football team’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

While Washington owner Daniel Snyder has been very unwavering about not changing the name, the nation should expect to see continued escalating pressure from Natives and Native-mascot opponents alike. According to Sunday’s rally organizers, protestors will be at every Redskins game until the name changes.

“We will never give up,” said Melanie Benjamin, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians in east-central Minnesota. “We have children who want what every American kid wants, to grow up and be proud of who they are, and proud of their heritage. We are not mascots.”

Truly, it’s only a matter of time before the nickname changes, no doubt about it. Snyder’s single argument for keeping the mascot, “the name really means honor, respect,” has been debunked over and over. One only needs to Google Image search “Washington Redskins fan,” or even “Cleveland Indians fan,” to get the picture, literally.

It’s time to stop making excuses for why it’s OK to have more respect and put more value towards sports teams’ nicknames, over respect for a population of Americans.

What’s worse, losing the nickname and temporarily removing some team pride for one NFL team and its fans – or keeping the nickname “forever” and indefinitely seeing our neighbors as people but, apparently more importantly, mascots?

A rapidly increasing number of public figures have come out in opposition of the name, including Attorney General Eric Holder, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson.

A day after the game, Jackson tweeted: “Proud of Demonstrators at Vikings game yesterday. Keep the pressure on Snyder. He just doesn't get it.”

Pride has its strengths. It’s truly the one thing that’s keeping the Redskins’ nickname afloat. Understandably, amid a culture of team pride and boisterous football devotees, many Redskins fans grew up cheering for the team without realizing the word “Redskin” is widely considered a racial slur due its derogatory use in history. And clearly, not all Redskins fans are racists towards Natives; otherwise there would be no such thing as Native Redskins fans. Yes, there are plenty.

Fans become fans because of the games, the athletes, the coaches and the wins. Really, the name is just an attachment, a label, to the team’s true underlying greatness. The team isn’t great because it’s called Redskins. It’s great because of the people. Therefore, the team pride that fans so strongly fight to keep can be transferred under the guise of a new mascot.

By keeping the name, we stay blind and stagnant. We accept double standards for racism and continue denying what it truly means. We think there’s logic in comparing Natives to Vikings. We allow extreme sports fanatics to continue mocking symbols of Native culture and honor by wearing pretend headdresses during games. We continue this already broken relationship between non-Native Americans have with Native Americans.

It’s time to make like the states and unite. It’s time to let true honor prevail.

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