Indigenous group condemns Trump's call to restore controversial team names
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'These mascots and names do not honour Native Peoples — they reduce us to caricatures,' the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement.
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'Our diverse Peoples and cultures are not relics of the past or mascots for entertainment. Native Nations are sovereign, contemporary cultures who deserve respect and self-determination, not misrepresentation.'
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In a Sunday social media post, Trump threatened to hold up a new stadium deal if the NFL's Washington Commanders don't return to their old name, which was considered offensive by Indigenous Americans. In his post, the president claimed that 'Indians are being treated very unfairly.'
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The Commanders and the District of Columbia government announced a deal earlier this year to build a new home for the football team. It's not clear if Trump can delay the deal.
The president also called for MLB's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their former name, which was also seen as offensive to Indigenous Peoples.
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In an earlier post, Trump called the NFL team the 'The Washington 'Whatever's' and claimed Indigenous people 'in massive numbers, want this to happen.
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'Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!' Trump posted.
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The Association on American Indian Affairs is the is the oldest national Native American non-profit in the United States and has been operating for more than 100 years.
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It said Indigenous communities and experts have repeatedly and clearly said that these themed mascots are offensive and dehumanizing.
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The association pointed to research that found that these mascots are consistently associated with negative health outcomes for Indigenous people, especially youth, and lead to lower self-esteem, increased psychological distress and harm to community well-being.
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