The Washington Redskins in 2020 caved in to all the pressure the organization was getting to change their name. When you think of 2020… you think of the widespread Covid pandemic that spread across the world. You think of the Summer in the states… the racial uneasiness that brought cities to their knees that looked like the soon-to-be apocalypse. The owner at the time for the Washington organization, Dan Synder, fought these people that wanted the Redskins scalped from the team’s helmet for years. The name & the logo of the Redskins was a symbol of racism against the Native Americans. Some people compared the Redskins logo to the confederate flag in the south. Suddenly American history needed to be changed as Christopher Columbus statues across the states took the brunt of people’s hostility in one of our most difficult years as a country. Syder would cave because the entire ordeal became a distraction for the football team. Did we get all the information and the facts that Native Americans were offended by the Redskins? Did weak politicians give in to these groups as a way to try to smooth what the white people did to the original people of North America? Suddenly a Native American group claims the Redskins did not mean anything hateful to other people or their own and they want their name back. They have over 100,00 signatures wanting the Washington Football team to go back to the Redskins and scrap the Commanders’ name.

The Native American Guardians Association are behind the online petition that is suddenly making some noise and growing legs. Billy Dieckman is a member of the NAGA group and advisor to the Kiowa Tribe. Dieckman calls the Redskins a “myth of bloody scalps” and the name and logo being a symbol for hate is not true. The logo & the name Redskins means a symbol of elite warriors. The imagery is a real person named Chief Two Guns White Calf. This name and logo were given to the Washington organization by the Blackfoot tribe as a forever gift and to play the game on the gridiron like the greatest warriors of all time. NAGA claims the name and logo were taken away without even consulting them. NAGA has written a letter to the new owner of the team saying they need to reinstate the old name Redskins or the organization could face a backlash at the ticket office.

Could this new group be on to something, the Native American Guardians Association? What generation of Native Americans are insulted by having some of their rich history being displayed on field, court or Ice? Who would not want to see their own heritage being celebrated? I think people from other races play a factor in this. They try to use other groups of people for their own agenda. How do we make it up to the Native Americans as the white people did screw them? By taking away all their names that have been playing sports and representing school, universities, and professional sports. Not to degrade them but to appreciate the history of what they bring to the table. The Chicago Blackhawks were named after a Chief named Blackhawk who was an Native American in the state of Illinois and his name originally was the name used for the U.S. 86th Infantry Division. Then schools like Florida State give money back to the local tribes as you notice the Sentinels never have problems with any groups trying to change their names. The Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Chiefs have a Tomahawk Chop which some could say is insulting. If you were Scottish playing the bag pipes, would that be normal? Every nationality has their own thing and I imagine some group used a tomahawk chop at some point. The Cleveland Indians looks more like former NBA player Scottie Pippin than an actual Chief. I guess Native Americans would be insulted by No Pippin Tipping. The Washington football team was named the Redskins since 1933. That name has many decades and many generations of football history. How many of these fans are politicians or groups using the Native American to help their own agenda? Do you think we got all the facts? How many actual Native Americans watched football and actually root for the Redskins? I think of these Native Americans as a peaceful group that put their pants on the same way everyone else does, one leg at a time. Everyone wants to have a great family and group of friends in life. Most of the world want to live life and have fun together. It’s the small majority that are pains as everything is wrong but forget things have gotten better and will continue to progress, we all are hopeful unless that majority ruins it for others. Everyone has a different spin on these sports logos that Native American history is either being erased for good or keep it going in the sports world. I have no skin in this game until some group replaces the name of a team I like. Every kid growing up playing sports that put on a cap or wear a jersey, likes the logo or the name of that team or they would not wear it. Sports are so innocent. People’s nationality and their ways, food they eat and what they drink are incredible. And leave you wanting to know more history. I’m not buying the idea that teams use the logo of Indian as hatred. Maybe the opponent you play that day you can hate only during the game. I think the Washington Football Team is better than the Washington Commanders. Bringing back history of the Redskins, I would love to see it. I would love to see the NAGA group get their way and return the name of the Redskins to gridiron. Did everyone get a say in the Redskins name change? Probably not. Once again the small majority are trying to take away everything everyone cares for. Instead of getting all the facts.