Want the Washington 'Redskins' Back?

Washington Redskins Richmond Virginia Training Camp - NFL Football/Creative Commons

In recent years, teams like the NFL's Washington Redskins have come under pressure to change their names and have, with some claiming they are offensive to Native Americans. The team is now the Washington Commanders.

But it's often "woke" white Leftists claiming such names are offensive.

Are Native Americans actually offended?

A group of Native Americans in August didn't feel that way. In fact, they were demanding that the NFL bring "Redskins" back.

The Native American Guardian’s Association (NAGA) organized support for the name reversal with a petition.

A petition with more than 90,000 signatures at the time.

“We invite all Americans to stand up for the dignity of EVERY AMERICAN under assault in today’s increasingly nonsensical culture wars,” the petition says. “This ‘LINE IN THE SAND’ moment reinforces undeniable history of the NATIVE AMERICAN assisting the FOUNDING OF AMERICA, with NATIVE AMERICAN principles used by the FOUNDING FATHERS in the US Constitution – and, EVERY AMERICAN’s right to the 1st and 14th Amendment and not to be targets of cancel culture or ESG."

“This is not a simple left or right issue for Americans; it reaches across the political spectrum dating back to our Founding Fathers," it also read.

This is a bold conservative statement. This Native American group is saying not only are they NOT offended by the Redskins name, but to please include them by using the name as part of America's founding and national heritage.

Inclusion. Unity. The exact OPPOSITE of what the Left wants: DIVISION.

Over the weekend, Washington Commanders’ Dan Quinn showed up at practice wearing a T-shirt featuring an illustration of two feathers.

Does that mean the Redskins are coming back?

Liam Griffin noted at The Washington Times that this seems to be a trend.

"Across the country, many communities are pushing back against cancel culture and moving to reclaim logos and nicknames that were axed in the name of political correctness," Griffin wrote.

Griffin continued:

In January, the Southern York County School Board in Pennsylvania reinstated an American Indian logo for its Susquehannock High School Warriors — officials had removed the imagery in 2020.

Last year in Sandusky, Michigan, voters recalled three school board members who changed the branding for the local high school sports teams originally known as “the Redskins.”

Another recall effort is underway for two members of the Camden-Frontier Board of Education in Michigan. Jesse Crow and Emily Morrison voted to retire the district’s “Redskins” identity and faced public backlash. 

Utah’s Iron County School Board dropped Cedar High School’s “Redmen” team names in 2019. It could return next year — the school board voted to let the community decide whether to reinstate the name in a referendum that’s currently planned for November. 

This is a great - and frankly, patriotic - trend.

The Left is eager for all minority groups to hate this country. Native Americans would certainly have their reasons to do just that.

But in this situation, it's progressives who are pushing these hateful narratives and the actual Native Americans are rejecting them.

NAGA's slogan? “Educate, not eradicate."

That's solid.

The group's executive director told The Washington Times, “We are starting to see a shift. It’s been a one-sided narrative pushed by the mainstream liberal media."

“Generally, 90% of Native Americans support names and images or have no problem with it," he said.

And that's all that should matter. If large majorities of certain groups are ACTUALLY offended, that's one thing. But a bunch of - probably mainly white - Lefties?

Get the hell out of here.

Listen to the Native Americans. Listen to the fans.

And go Redskins!