The President’s spokesperson said Monday that the President believes the Native American community will be “very angry” over Washington’s decision to retire its name. The group that represents the Native American community is actually very happy.
“Today is a day for all Native people to celebrate,” the National Congress of American Indians said in a statement. “We thank the generations of tribal nations, leaders, and activists who worked for decades to make this day possible. We commend the Washington NFL team for eliminating a brand that disrespected, demeaned, and stereotyped all Native people, and we call on all other sports teams and corporate brands to retire all caricatures of Native people that they use as their mascots.
“We are not mascots -- we are Native people, citizens of more than 500 tribal nations who have stood strong for millennia and overcome countless challenges to reach this pivotal moment in time when we can help transform America into the just, equitable, and compassionate country our children deserve.”
The NCAI’s statement doesn’t address the reality that the outgoing name will remain in place until a new name is selected. Hopefully, this awkward posture will persist for only a few days.
