Is it a Controversial and Complex Issue to Change the Name of Washington’s Football Team?
English
Is it a Controversial and Complex Issue to Change the Name of Washington’s Football Team?
Introduction
The clamor at the national level for the ‘Washington Redskins’ to change their name is a source of controversy. Proponents for change cite historical wrongs associated with the name ‘redskins’. Continued usage of the name creates harassment for the young amongst peers. On the other hand, fans do not wish to let go of the name they have been associated with for a long time. Opponents to name change also aver that over-sensitivity and political correctness would ultimately sanitize the entire national framework, leaving no scope of spirit behind. The contrary pulls make the entire issue of changing name for Washington Redskins complex and controversial.
The team, Washington Redskins, got its name in 1933 as a tribute to the large number of Indians recruited by it and in honor of its coach (Stuart, 2013). Over a period of time, the team has become a major force in the National Football League, and has acquired a large and loyal fan following. Fans associate themselves with the team through the visible symbols of the team name and logo. To that effect, the name ‘Redskins’ is well ensconced amongst fans. Fans associate the entire history of the team, including its most famous wins and defeats, with the name. This is buttressed by a recent poll, which indicates that a large majority of the fans believe that the team should not change its name (Cohen and Maese, 2013).
In their defense, the Washington Redskins management argues that the team has full regard for Native Americans, and that the team wished to retain the name ‘Redskins’ due to its long association with the name. According to the team, it has eighty years of history behind its name, and the effort should be to soothe the feelings of Native Americans, instead of changing the name of an iconic football team. In its defense, the team management also mentions other teams whose names and activities have Indian origin words associated, such as the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ associated with the Atlanta Braves. The team management has also tried to associate the name with an ode to the Native Indian population, by claiming that their song ‘Hail to the Redskins’, sung on touchdowns, is in honor of Native Americans. The team management also argues that it is only a small proportion of Native Americans who are pitching for a change in the name of the team (Gregory, 2013).
Weighing in on the other side of the controversy is the connotation of the word ‘redskins’. Historically, the word ‘redskins’ was innocuous to begin with. In the 1800s, Indian tribes of the Meskwaki Nation, also known as the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi, identified themselves as ‘redskins’, just as other tribes identified themselves as ‘blackskins’ or ‘whiteskins’. However, the name ‘redskins’ acquired a genocidal overtone during America’s colonial period when King George II of England offered a bounty for the bloody scalps, literally red skins, of Native Americans (Rushing, 2014). While the colonial period is long gone, sensitivities to old nomenclatures abound. The historical connotation of the term ‘redskin’ has provoked a continuous effort by Native Americans to force the Washington Redskins to be divested of their name.
Opponents of the name argue that the change of name demanded by the populace should not be measured for unanimity by the standard of how many Native Americans are calling for the change. Instead, the popular narrative revolves around the effect the name ‘Washington Redskins’ has on children of Native Americans going to school. Native American children go to school under a framework of severe disadvantages- they have to struggle to join the mainstream. Allusions to ‘scalping’ that occur whenever the name ‘Washington Redskins’ comes up for discussion in school groups results in Native American schoolchildren getting harassed. This results in reduced self-esteem and lowered mental health. The problem is part of an overall scenario where a lot of schools use mascots referring to Native Americans. The net effect is that Indian schoolchildren become associated with mascots, and suffer ignominy as a result. The use of mascots subliminally teaches non-native Americans that it is acceptable to participate in culturally abusive behavior and perpetuate misconceptions about American Indian culture. The resulting stereotypes about Indians remains etched in public memory (Terkel, 2014).
In its bid to force the Washington Redskins to change its name, several civil rights groups, under the umbrella name of ‘The Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights’, have tabled a resolution calling for the elimination of ‘native’ names and mascots. The group has reiterated that the use of the name ‘redskin’ is pejorative and insulting, and just as demeaning as other historical slurs. The group argues that the First Amendment, while guaranteeing free speech, does not condone the use of demeaning names, and therefore calls for the Washington Redskins to change their name (Washington Post, 2013).
As a result of the controversy, the US Patent office has stripped the Washington Redskins of their trademark. The Patent office determined that the use of the word ‘redskins’ was ‘disparaging’ to individuals or groups (Gambino, 2014). While the action by the US Patent office does not make it mandatory for Washington Redskins to change their name, the move makes it possible for any other agency to call themselves ‘Washington Redskins’, thus lowering the value of the brand name. Meanwhile, the team continues to use the name ‘Redskins’ and plans to appeal against the decision of the US Patent Office, amidst mounting clamor for the team to drop the name.
Conclusion
Derogatory and disparaging nomenclatures serve to dredge up painful memories in the combined consciousness of the affected people. The words ‘black’, ‘niggers’ and ‘redskins’ fall into the category of disparaging terms that affect the self-concept of affected groups of people. As part of the American effort to bring closure to historical wrongs perpetrated on sections of the populace, corrective actions are constantly being undertaken by the body politic. The popular move for ‘Washington Redskins’ to change their name is part of the overall effort to usher in a sense of reconciliation amongst the Native American people. Overall, between the advantage of a team retaining its sports history associated with the name and bringing a sense of closure to an entire race, it makes sense to opt for the latter. The fans could display generosity and sensitivity to the larger cause of reconciliation with the larger cause of assuaging the longstanding feelings of hurt amongst the Native American populace. It is for the management of the ‘Washington Redskins’ to read the popular mood and unilaterally change its name in a gesture of understanding. The team would only become stronger and draw more widespread support from this gesture.
References
Cohen, J., & Maese, R. (2013). Washington Redskins name: Washington Post poll finds most D.C area fans support it. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com
Gambino, L. (2014). US Patent office strips Washington Redskins of ‘offensive’ trademarks. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com.
Gregory, S. (2013). A mysterious defense of the Washington Redskins name. The Times. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from EBSCHOHost. AN 91264761.
Stuart, C. (2013). The origin of the name ‘Redskins’. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.footballperspective.com/the-origin-of-the-name-redskins/
Rushing, J.T. (2014). ‘Redskins’ name has complicated history for Meskwaki, other tribes. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://thegazette.com/subject/news/redskins-name-has-complicated-history-for-meskwaki-other-tribes-20140810
Terkel, A. (2014). How Washington’s football team creates a hostile environment for Native American students. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/washington-redskins-native-americans_n_5607082.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in
Washington Post. (2013). Full text: Resolution on the changing of the Washington Redskins name. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/full-text-resolution-on-the-changing-of-the-washington-redskins-name/2013/12/12/b002f130-6342-11e3-91b3-f2bb96304e34_story.html
