Who Isn't Complaining About "The Redskins"?
Well, the other "Redskins" team from Red Mesa High School -- a school with a population that is mostly Navajo.
It's kind of like "queer." It used to be a term of disparagement. Gays reclaimed it.
Not only do the kids on the Red Mesa team not view it as racist, they seem to love it. Check out their mascot -- a painted-faced "brave" in a horse carrying a spear.
Ian Shapira writes at the WaPo:
Beyond Red Mesa's campus is a national movement against that name and logo. Across the country and on Capitol Hill, Native American activists, lawmakers, civil rights leaders and sports commentators have denounced "Redskins" as deeply offensive -- a position rejected by team owner Daniel Snyder, who contends that it honors Native Americans. He has vowed never to change the name.One of the country's most prominent anti-Redskins activists, Amanda Blackhorse, is the lead plaintiff in a legal case that threatens the Washington Redskins' trademark protection. Blackhorse is a Navajo and lives about an hour's drive from Red Mesa.
But most in the Red Mesa community dismiss Blackhorse's cause, or barely know who she is."I don't know what she means that it's a racial slur," said Mckenzie Lameman, 17, a junior who is Red Mesa's student government president. "It's not a racist slur if it originates from a Native American tribe. . . . It's always used in the context of sports."
There were 62 high schools in 22 states using the Redskins moniker last year, according to a project published by the University of Maryland's Capital News Service. In addition to Red Mesa, two others are majority Native American: Wellpinit High School in Washington state and Kingston High School in Oklahoma.
At Red Mesa, there was excitement when students and faculty were offered tickets and transportation to the game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. About 150 students and faculty signed up.
Blackhorse, who was organizing a protest of the name at the game, said she called a Red Mesa school official and urged him not to let his students be used as props by Washington's team. "I told him they'd be mocked and treated as tokens and pawns," Blackhorse said.
But the school participated anyway, because administrators thought the disadvantaged students would appreciate the opportunity to attend an NFL game.
"We just let [Blackhorse] talk," said Al Begay, Red Mesa's athletic director, sitting in his office. "This protest feels like it's coming from one person."
Lameman (there's a name!) has a point: Nobody is using "redskins" as a term of disparagement for Native Americans. It's used proudly -- as the name of the sports team (one that the Post's Shapira points out wins more often than the team in D.C.).
More about the Washington Redskins name controversy.
Maybe Red Mesa can license the nickname to the Washington team in exchange for oh, I dunno, proper drinking water?
I'd pay good money to see the holier-than-thou types who pontificate upon this during sporting events choking on that turn of events. Yeah, I'm looking at you ESPN, and you too, Bob Costas.
I know. You want to be socially relevant. But your job is to talk about sports. Do your job, eh?
I R A Darth Aggie at October 28, 2014 9:28 AM
We're going by what teenagers say? The same that use Nigger like its salt and pepper?
This is a dumb argument for keeping the name. Personally I don't care either way, but those that wanna keep it involve every native motherfucker that says its ok. Even guys that later get voted out of their tribal positions for taking bribes.
Either it's ok on it's own merit or it isn't.
Ppen at October 28, 2014 10:27 AM
So should we change the name of Oklahoma as well then? Or the Utes? The Braves? The Indians?
What if it turns our rocky mountain cougars are offended that Moromons use them as a mascot?
lujlp at October 28, 2014 10:42 AM
The question to be answered is, "Is the term Redskins a pejorative?" And, if so, "Is it offensive to the degree that it becomes a sanctioned put-down of an entire ethnic group and excludes them from taking part in our society?"
The answer, in reality, is no. It may be offensive to some, but the kerfuffle about the name is really a lashing out by disaffected liberals and Native Americans despairing of the rampant poverty that characterizes the average reservation and imagining that changing the team's name will lead to a new economic dawn for Native Americans.
It's true that Native Americans are shut out of US society to a certain degree. That is caused mainly by their self-maintained exile to reservations; reservations that are poorly governed, economically backwards sinkholes of despair.
It's tough for a young Native American to leave the reservation make his/her way in a large US city - having no relatives and few family- or culturally-affiliated helpers to assist the transition. But it's also tough for a young person of any other heritage to do that. It's pretty tough for a young white kid from the sticks to do that.
The time has come for Native Americans to ask if they're doing themselves any favors by insisting on living on a reservation with strong connections to their roots, clans, and heritage or if they'd be better off as a people to encourage a diaspora into American cities and towns.
A football team in Washington using "Redskins" as its team name is not the cause of their collective misery, nor is forcing the team to change that name the answer to it.
Conan the Grammarian at October 28, 2014 11:25 AM
@Lujlp: So should we change the name of Oklahoma as well then? Or the Utes? The Braves? The Indians?
Well, yes, if the protests are heeded. While the Washington Redskins are the most prominent example, they're hardly alone. Here's another Wikipedia article detailing the mascot controversy in general. About a third of the way down the page is an expansive table showing which colleges changed their Indian-themed mascots and when. Further down in the article is a discussion on professional team names; the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Chiefs don't get off easily, either.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at October 28, 2014 12:57 PM
Indians Resolve to Endeavor to Persevere.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at October 28, 2014 2:08 PM
There's a school around here that use a Viking as a mascot. Somehow I don't see this as a slur upon my Northern European heritage.
Steve Daniels at October 28, 2014 2:30 PM
Your Northern European ancestors lived in fear of the Scandinavian Vikings. And with good reason. They weren't just Hagar the Horrible horned-helmet wearing, beer drinking, party guys.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/vikings-sacrificed-slaves_n_4184170.html
Conan the Grammarian at October 28, 2014 3:08 PM
There's a school around here that use a Viking as a mascot. Somehow I don't see this as a slur upon my Northern European heritage.
You should, might be some money in a lawsuit if you are.
lujlp at October 28, 2014 8:53 PM
In one of the main Atlanta Braves' fan sites, there's already a discussion going on about what name the Braves should adopt if they are forced to change it. People are seeing the train coming at them.
Cousin Dave at October 29, 2014 7:29 AM
Do I think "Redskins" is a particular wonderful, inclusive name for a pro sports team? No. Were I running the team, I likely would have sought to change the name to that of an actual Native American tribe with ties to the wider DC region.
Do I think that this recent campaign against the name is really being powered by a distaste for perceived insensitivity? No, I think a whole lot of political types in DC are seeking to draw attention away from the fact that they're terrible at governing and deeply unpopular (Exhibit A: Harry Reid). I have better things to do than waste time on that.
That having been said, the article mentioned here does provide one of the few genuinely amusing moments of the whole saga -- that of the earnest activist calling up the official of a school attended by disadvantaged kids and actually thinking she will be taken seriously when she asks that the official prevent students from accepting free attendance to an NFL game. This is a school that has to spend massive amounts on bottled water because the tap water is undrinkable, and they're supposed to care about the delicate sensitivities of…some other people? Uh-huh. I'm glad the Red Mesa kids -- who sound delightful -- got to have a good time at the game.
marion at October 29, 2014 9:21 PM
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