Latest news with #NativeAmericans
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Native Americans rail against Trump's call to change Commanders' name back.
Native American groups had fought for years to get Washington's NFL team to change its name. Trump just renewed the battle. WASHINGTON ‒ Native American groups fought for years to get this city's National Football League team to change its name. Now, President Donald Trump wants to change it back to a moniker many Native Americans consider offensive and disrespectful. 'No Native American child should have to sit through a pep rally or in a stadium where their culture is being mocked,' said Jacqueline De León, senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund. Trump threatened over the weekend to block a deal to build a stadium in Washington, D.C., if the Washington Commanders team refuses to revert to the name it had from 1937 when the team moved from Boston until 2022. "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team," Trump posted on his Truth Social site. 'I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders.'' In a post the same day, Trump said Native Americans would welcome the change. "Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen," he wrote in a post that also encouraged the Cleveland Guardians to revert to a former name. "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!!!' But that's not what USA TODAY found when reaching out to Native American activists. Native Americans are not mascots, said Savannah Romero, a member of the enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation, who urged city officials not to yield to the name change. 'We are language keepers, land protectors, survivors of attempted genocide, and a part of sovereign nations," Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the BLIS (Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty) Collective Collective, said in a statement. "To equate Native people with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is a gross and ongoing tactic of dehumanization.' 'Disrespectful to the pain and suffering' Trump's move comes in the wake of efforts across the country to ban the use of Native American mascots and logos in schools, including in New York. The Native American Rights Fund supported efforts in New York to ban the use of such mascots. It recently released a video pushing back against the use of Native American mascots. In a June 17 announcement, the Department of Education called the ban 'an unlawful attempt to ban mascots and logos that celebrate Native American history.'' De León said that challenge is part of the larger narrative by the Trump administration to muddy the waters and undermine civil rights protections. It's not racist to push back against racism, she said. 'Native Americans are being used as tools for a distraction,' De León said. 'That's very disrespectful to the pain and suffering imposed on Native people by inaccurately depicting our culture.' More: Why some Native American citizens worry about getting caught in ICE's net Beth Wright, a member of Pueblo of Laguna, said the United States has long tried to erase Native identity and culture, including through federal Indian boarding schools, banning Native religious and cultural practices and seizing control over Native lands. 'Native people are still working to revitalize what the United States tried to erase,'' said Wright, a staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund. 'Native mascots work directly against these efforts by perpetuating false historical narratives about Native people and false depictions of who Native people are today.'' 'It's a slur' In 2013, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 groups, approved a resolution calling for owners of the Washington team to change its name. The resolution called for the elimination of names and mascots 'that promote negative stereotypes and connotations or that trivialize Native American cultures.'' De León, who had lived in the Washington, D.C., area for several years, said it hurt when she saw people wearing shirts with the old name. 'I don't even like to say the word because it's a slur,' she said.
The Province
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Province
Trump threatens to hold up stadium deal if Washington Commanders don't switch back to Redskins
Published Jul 20, 2025 • 3 minute read Washington Commanders jerseys are displayed at an event to unveil the NFL football team's new identity, Feb. 2, 2022, in Landover, Md. Photo by Patrick Semansky / AP CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to hold up a new stadium deal for Washington's NFL team if it does not restore its old name of the Redskins, which was considered offensive to Native Americans. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Trump also said Sunday that he wants Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, saying there was a 'big clamouring for this' as well. The Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have had their current names since the 2022 seasons and both have said they have no plans to change them back. Trump said the Washington football team would be 'much more valuable' if it restored its old name. 'I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,' Trump said on his social media site. His latest interest in changing the name reflects his broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice. The team announced it would drop the Redskins name and the Indian head logo in 2020 during a broader reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Commanders and the District of Columbia government announced a deal earlier this year to build a new home for the football team at the site the old RFK Stadium, the place the franchise called home for more than three decades. Trump's ability to hold up the deal remains to be seen. President Joe Biden signed a bill in January that transferred the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia. The provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December. While D.C. residents elect a mayor, a city council and commissioners to run day-to-day operations, Congress maintains control of the city's budget. Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, said earlier this year the name was here to stay. Not long after taking over, Harris quieted speculation about going back to Redskins, saying that would not happen. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Trump's statement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Washington team started in Boston as the Redskins in 1933 before moving to the nation's capital four years later. The Cleveland Guardians' president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, indicated before Sunday's game against the Athletics that there weren't any plans to revisit the name change. 'We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it's a decision we made. We've got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that's in front of us,' he said. Cleveland announced in December 2020 it would drop Indians. It announced the switch to Guardians in July 2021. In 2018, the team phased out 'Chief Wahoo' as its primary logo. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The name changes had their share of supporters and critics as part of the national discussions about logos and names considered racist. Trump posted Sunday afternoon that 'The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!' Matt Dolan, the son of the late Larry Dolan, no longer has a role with the Guardians. He ran the team's charity endeavours until 2016. Matt Dolan was a candidate in the Ohio U.S. Senate elections in 2022 and '24, but lost. Washington and Cleveland share another thing in common. David Blitzer is a member of Harris' ownership group with the Commanders and holds a minority stake in the Guardians. Vancouver Canucks News Sports Tennis Local News
Boston Globe
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
White House says President Trump is serious about wanting the Commanders to revert to Redskins
'I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not,' Leavitt said. 'He's a nontraditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the American people and, if you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country, and even in this city, people actually do support the president's position on this and the name change.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up After Congress passed a bill late last year to transfer land from the federal government to the District of Columbia, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team Advertisement 'I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part,' Bowser said. 'I have worked for the better part of 10 years to get our part completed, including getting control of the land, coming to an agreement with the team and advancing a fantastic agreement to the council, so we need to do our part.' Related : Advertisement Dan Snyder, who had said multiple times as owner since 1999 that he would never change the name, did so in July 2020 after facing Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty Collective, said in a statement Monday responding to Trump that 'Native Americans are not mascots.' 'To equate Native people with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is a gross and ongoing tactic of dehumanization,' said Romero, who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation. Related : A spokesperson for the National Congress of American Indians said the organization was working on finalizing a statement. At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association, has filed petitions to bring back the Redskins and Cleveland Indians names. A handful of fans who were asked by The Associated Press for their opinion generally dismissed Trump's comments. Ender Tuncay, who grew up in the Washington area and returns to visit family, called it 'typical Trump stupidity.' 'It's just him focusing on things that aren't consequential and trying to distract from the actual issues that are going on,' Tuncay said, adding he does not care what the name is. 'But I'd like them to get the new stadium, for sure. I like this site where it is. My parents used to tell me stories of how great RFK was back when we were really, really good.' Advertisement Ford Flemmings, who worked as a vendor at the old RFK Stadium, said everyone is on the bandwagon with the name Commanders now that they are winning. 'I liked Washington when it was just plain Washington,' Flemmings said. 'If they change their name, so be it. I'll still be a Washington, whatever the Washington team is.' AP White House reporter Darlene Superville and video journalist River Zhang contributed.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump calls on two NFL teams to change their names
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Graig Graziosi Monday 21 July 2025 23:18 BST Washington Redskins confirm name change Donald Trump is threatening to block a new stadium deal for the Washington Commanders in Washington, D.C., unless the team changes its name back to the 'Redskins'. Trump also called for the Cleveland Guardians to revert to their previous name, the 'Indians', claiming 'our great Indian people' desire these changes. The Washington team changed its name from 'Redskins' in 2020 due to pressure over the use of a racial slur against Native Americans, while the Cleveland team became the 'Guardians' in 2021 for similar reasons. A 2020 poll found that half of Native American respondents were offended by the name 'Redskins', and a majority found related actions like the 'tomahawk chop' offensive. Despite Trump's demands, both the Commanders and Guardians have indicated no intention of reverting to their previous names, with the Commanders' owner stating they are 'moving forward with the Commanders name'. In full
Japan Today
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
White House says Trump serious about wanting Commanders to revert to Redskins
FILE - Washington Commanders jerseys are displayed at an event to unveil the NFL football team's new identity, Feb. 2, 2022, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, file) nfl A day after Donald Trump threatened to hold up a deal for a new football stadium in the nation's capital if the Washington Commanders did not go back to the name Redskins, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president's comments were not a joke. 'The president was serious,' Leavitt told reporters Monday while answering questions on the White House driveway. 'Sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see the name of that team changed.' Asked why he's getting involved, Leavitt called Trump a 'nontraditional president" and said sports fans are behind him on this. 'I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not,' Leavitt said. 'He's a nontraditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the American people and, if you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country, and even in this city, people actually do support the president's position on this and the name change.' After Congress passed a bill late last year to transfer land from the federal government to the District of Columbia, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team reached an agreement in April to build on the site of the old RFK Stadium. That is still pending approval by the Council of the District of Columbia. 'I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part,' Bowser said. 'I have worked for the better part of 10 years to get our part completed, including getting control of the land, coming to an agreement with the team and advancing a fantastic agreement to the council, so we need to do our part.' Dan Snyder, who had said multiple times as owner since 1999 that he would never change the name, did so in July 2020 after facing mounting pressure from sponsors and critics. Washington Football Team was used for two seasons before Commanders was unveiled as the permanent name in early 2022. Josh Harris, whose group bought the team from Snyder in 2023, said earlier this year the Commanders name was here to stay. Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty Collective, said in a statement Monday responding to Trump that 'Native Americans are not mascots.' "To equate Native people with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is a gross and ongoing tactic of dehumanization,' said Romero, who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation. A spokesperson for the National Congress of American Indians said the organization was working on finalizing a statement. At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association, has filed petitions to bring back the Redskins and Cleveland Indians names. A handful of fans who were asked by The Associated Press for their opinion generally dismissed Trump's comments. Ender Tuncay, who grew up in the Washington area and returns to visit family, called it 'typical Trump stupidity.' 'It's just him focusing on things that aren't consequential and trying to distract from the actual issues that are going on,' Tuncay said, adding he does not care what the name is. 'But I'd like them to get the new stadium, for sure. I like this site where it is. My parents used to tell me stories of how great RFK was back when we were really, really good.' Ford Flemmings, who worked as a vendor at the old RFK Stadium, said everyone is on the bandwagon with the name Commanders now that they are winning. 'I liked Washington when it was just plain Washington,' Flemmings said. 'If they change their name, so be it. I'll still be a Washington, whatever the Washington team is.' AP White House reporter Darlene Superville and video journalist River Zhang contributed. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
