The Native American group that sued the NFL’s Washington Commanders for attempting to erase Indian heritage defended its legal action on social media on Saturday, March 30, 2024. The group noted that its lawsuit is part of a larger effort to prevent liberals from eradicating history.
In September 2023, the Native American Guardians Association sued the Commanders and their owner, Josh Harris. The group sued for defamation, civil conspiracy, and civil rights violations. Furthermore, their media accounts noted at the time that they accused the team of working to suppress Native American history.
NAGA demanded that the team, known for over 80 years as the Redskins, bring back the former nickname. For context, former owner Dan Snyder made the change in 2020 in response to the George Floyd protests. “NAGA’s members were huge Redskin fans precisely because they were the Redskins,” the lawsuit argued.
“It was the only team in the NFL to honor an actual Native American.” It continued, “They were proud to watch professional football players engage in a different kind of battle, with the stoic face of Chief White Calf on their helmets.”
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The lawsuit also alleges that the Commanders worked with the National Congress of American Indians to remove the former name and prevent its return. After the filing, the NFL team debunked the allegations, dismissing them as false.
“We believe the complaint is without merit, and we will address the matter in court,” a Commanders’ spokesperson said. Sources state that Chief John Two Guns White Calf, among his other contributions to Native American history, forced the U.S. government to recognize and honor Blackfoot tribal claims.
Also, Fox News claimed that 17th-century Lenni Lenape Chief Tammany inspired the Redskins’ original name and logo. Colonialists fighting the American Revolution celebrated Tammany as “the Patron Saint of America.”
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On Friday, March 30, a historian, M.F. Khan, posted a story about the lawsuit on X, which NAGA reposted. The story renewed the debate on whether they should rename the team on the platform.
While some argued that they shouldn’t rename the team, others cheered they did. In response to a critic who cheered that a “slur of a name and stereotypical logo” was gone, NAGA noted other examples. The group cited areas where liberals removed Native American references.
These included art exhibits they pulled in the name of “cultural sensitivity.” NAGA also pointed at a map showing ten upstate New York high schools that have changed their logos from Indian references. “Do you really think this is about a Name (sic) Redskins still?” NAGA responded.
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Regarding the original lawsuit, filed in federal court in North Dakota, NAGA hinted that “the powerful are pushing the delete button.” The group claimed some are trying to erase Native American history. They also accused Harris and the Commanders of a “coordinated and willful effort” to defame the group.
In addition, the nonprofit submitted a Change.org petition that urges the revival of the Redskins name and logo. According to reports, that petition has garnered over 130,000 signatures.
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