Latest news with #MascotControversy
National Post
a day ago
- Politics
- National Post
Indigenous group condemns Trump's call to restore controversial team names
WASHINGTON — The Association on American Indian Affairs is condemning U.S President Donald Trump's call for Washington's football team to revert to its old name, saying any claim that Indigenous nations support the use of Indigenous-themed mascots is false. Article content 'These mascots and names do not honour Native Peoples — they reduce us to caricatures,' the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement. Article content Article content Article content '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.' Article content 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.' Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content '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. Article content 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. Article content It said Indigenous communities and experts have repeatedly and clearly said that these themed mascots are offensive and dehumanizing. Article content Article content 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.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Indigenous organization condemns Trump's call to bring back Washington NFL team name
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at an event in the East Room of the White House on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON — The Association on American Indian Affairs is condemning U.S President Donald Trump's call for Washington's football team to revert to its old name, saying any claim that Indigenous nations support the use of Indigenous-themed mascots is false. On Sunday, in a social media post, Trump threatened to hold up a new stadium deal if the NFL's Washington Commanders team doesn't return to its old name, which was considered offensive by Indigenous Americans. Trump also called for Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name — which was also seen as offensive to Indigenous Peoples — claiming 'there is a big clamoring for' the change. The Association on American Indian Affairs says in a statement that Indigenous communities and experts have repeatedly and clearly said that these themed mascots are offensive and dehumanizing. The national Indigenous non-profit organization says the mascots and names reduce Indigenous Peoples to caricatures. The Washington football team announced its name change in 2020 as many sports franchises, including some in Canada, stopped using similar names and logos following decades of pushback from Indigenous activists and communities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
