Washington Redskins: What’s In a Name?

 

While the battle regarding the name and logo of the Washington Redskins rages on; people in the South West, where a large population of Native Americans live, go on with their lives.  They go to school, go to work and raise their kids. Others involved live elsewhere:  National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell spends the majority of his work day in New York; Redskins’ owner, Dan Snyder, spends much of his time in Virginia. And a large majority of people in the United States Congress live all over the District, Maryland and Virginia.  Yet a large population of the people who have the most right to comment on Washington’s name and moniker spend their lives some 2,000 miles away, give or take a few hundred miles.

Whether or not the Redskins’ name and moniker is derogatory is an argument that is filled with emotion on both sides. As the fight to have it changed has gained steam in our nation and the media, I have become more and more afraid that the term — which many, many Redskins fans think of with pride and affection — is actually one that signifies the exact opposite to many Native Americans. But without an understanding of where the word “Redskin” came from and what might cause any derogatory connotation, there is no chance of making the label okay with anyone.

A Chance to Learn

While recently traveling in Phoenix, Ariz., I realized that, as a media member who covers the team, it would be a lost opportunity if I did not talk to the people who know best whether or not the name and moniker for Washington’s team is offensive or benign.  Questions needed to be asked: Is it the word itself that is degrading or is it the way it’s used? Is there more than one way to think of the designation “Redskin” and, if so, is it possible that keeping the moniker and logo could help stem the racism that continues to plague our American Indians in this country?

I made some calls to two tribal government offices in Arizona to see if they would talk to me or could suggest people to interview. No one in an official position returned my call. One receptionist asked me not to print her name or that of her office but suggested a couple of Native American owned businesses to visit and a few Native American-run museums. She also told me where to find a couple of stores near a few of the reservations close to the area where folks going about their day might be willing to chat with me for a moment.

A Bit of History

I did some research before starting out so that I had some idea of why the name of Washington’s professional football team evokes such emotion.

The most exhaustive history I could find was from the Indian language scholar Ives Goddard (Smithsonian Institution) who published an article called “I AM A RED-SKIN”: The Adoption of a Native American Expression (1769–1826)” in which he describes when the term first appeared (it was 1769). It apparently was used during negotiations between the members of the Piankashaw tribe and Col. John Wilkins (a commandant at Fort de Chartres in Illinois while Britain was trying to invade).

Evidently, Native Americans made designations of different peoples by the color of their skin, using the term ‘Red-Skins’ for themselves, ‘Black-Skins’ for Africans and ‘White-Skins’ for Caucasian Europeans. The title of Goddard’s article comes from a speech given by a Santee chief named French Crow during a meeting with President James Madison and which was officially recorded. In it, he is referring to his own people or himself when he uses the term “Red-Skin.” On the same occasion, an Osage Chief named No Ears used the term to refer to his people.

It wasn’t until the 1890’s — over 100 years later — that the term took on a derogatory note. That was when L. Frank Baum (author of “The Wizard of Oz”) wrote a series of editorials calling for the extermination of all Native Americans and used it when describing the people.

But in 2012, J. Gordon Hylton (who holds a PhD in the History of American Civilization) published “The Use of Native American Team Names in the Formative Era of American Sports, 1857-1933” and stated that: “Supporters of the continued use of such names and symbols maintain that the practice actually honors Native Americans and is not demeaning.” He also confirms Goddard’s statements, writing that the term ‘Red-Skin’ was “essentially neutral when used by whites, reflecting neither a particularly positive nor particularly negative connotation.”

One of the people I spoke to during this project told me that the term “redskin” was used by white Indian bounty hunters who used to skin Native Americans and turned in the bloodied membrane for a living.

Hylton refutes this notion.

“Moreover,” he wrote, “the frequently repeated story that the term referred to the British government’s practice of paying bounties for the bodies, or skins, of slain Indians during the colonial period has been thoroughly discredited. The claim that there was any systematic practice by anyone in early America of paying bounties for bloody red skins and scalps of Native Americans has little support, but has been repeated by critics of the use of Native American team names. Many contemporary Native Americans and non-Native Americans alike perceive the term to be a racial epithet, but how the transition in meaning occurred is not at all clear.”

In and of itself, it appears that the term “Redskin” or “Red-Skin” was not derogatory when first used in this country. What is critical is how it is perceived now. It was time to go find out.

Out into Phoenix

Every person I spoke to was warm and gracious to me, regardless of how they felt about the word. The response I got ran the gamut of emotion from very strong to not strong at all. But not everyone would talk to me…  they said that the subject was too controversial or it hit too close to home to talk publicly about it. Out of 15 Native Americans that I requested an interview with, only seven would talk about it with me. The other eight would not either because they worked for a Tribal government or because it was just too sensitive of a subject. Two of the folks that did speak to me requested that they remain anonymous and a few would not let me use their last name. I wish I could pass along every single thing that was said because all of it was relevant. Since I don’t have enough space, however, I will pass along the highlights.

A Respected Jeweler

Alvin Vandever, raised in the Prewitt, N.M. Navajo community, is a very talented silversmith who grew up in a family of silversmiths. I met him in Old Town Scottsdale and he seemed at ease talking about the subject.

“It’s been part of the team for so long,” Alvin explained when I asked him how he felt about the Redskins’ name. “It’s like with Florida State and the Seminoles — it is part of the history of the team representing the Native American in Washington. I don’t have, really, anything against it. It’s actually representative of the Native American in the United States. The Native American is part of the United States and Washington. The Capital represents the United States. [The name and logo] represent pride and it’s mostly for us.  In Washington is where business and politics are taking care of the country and the Redskins are part of that… our nation. That’s the way I see it.”

When I asked him specifically if he saw the word as derogatory thing, he did not hesitate.   

“Not really, no. Not really,” he said on a head shake. “It’s really just a name… a word. And it’s part of us, the Native American. It’s just about the United States and that’s pride. That’s how I see it.”

The silversmith did acknowledge that there are varying opinions on the whole subject and feels like everyone is obviously entitled to one.

“They have their own opinions. I have my own opinion,” Vandever said. “Even though [the team and the controversy] is in Washington, it could actually help our whole nation — not just us [the Navajo] but all the tribes. So, it shouldn’t be seen as bad. And it’s been in place for a long time. It’s all part of the whole history of the United States. It’s respectful.”

(After we talked, Alvin showed me some of his work in progress and, having grown up in a family of silversmiths, it’s no surprise that he has won Best of Division at the Heard Museum Show in 2003 and best in Division at the 2001 Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. His hand-made sterling silver and gold Kachinas are divine.)

Erica and Reva

Not long after speaking to Alvin, I entered a wonderful authentic Native American music, arts and crafts store where I spoke to a couple of ladies: Erica and Reva. I asked them if they had feelings one way or the other about the Washington Redskins’ changing their name and logo.  I was especially interested in talking to them because they were different in age, Erica being in her 20’s and Reva being 20+ years older (although she didn’t look 20 years older).

Erica was uncomfortable naming her tribe (Reva is Navajo) but had plenty to say.

“There are a lot of mixed emotions on both sides…” she said. “Some people are okay with it, whether Native or non-Native and [then there is] the other side where they’re not okay with it. For myself, I’m kind of stuck in the middle.

“It doesn’t only apply to major league [sports] with mascots. We also have college students who are participating in activities that are what you might call racist or are a form of degrading one’s race. It seems to be getting out of control… it’s starting to explode again now days; to heighten when we’ve already had to fight to get that respect… that we are just like everybody else.”

Erica was talking about the issue of the very recent University of North Dakota spring time bash where some students had t-shirts made with the words, “Siouxper Drunk” on them along with the caricature of a Native American man wearing a headdress and drinking from a funnel.

In 2012, the university lost their mascot — the “Fighting Sioux” — after the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted to discontinue the use of the moniker and Indian head logo (state law prohibits the university from adopting a new team name until 2015). The issue blew up all over social media, of course.

“I had quoted [on Facebook]: ‘Why is it that this is never going to end? Here we go again.’” Reva told me. “Where are the parents to teach these kids that this is wrong and then we’re still fighting the battle? Now we’re in defense mode because we have kids here now that think this is funny. It’s just never ending… it’s never ending.”

“I’m sure you have some of the football fans that look up to the name,” she went on. “It’s been the mascot for years. But you also have some kids or some adults that think otherwise.”

“If they’re a true fan, it wouldn’t matter if the [name or logo] was changed,” Erica said a bit later. “They’re going to stay in the same location, under the same people; the people who own it are going to be the same, it will have the same players, the same colors. Nothing’s going to change but the mascot. I don’t see why they can’t change it but I believe the people who are against [changing it] are, in my opinion, a lot of non-Natives.”

Erica did admit that she had friends that fell on both sides of the debate.

“I have a few friends who are both for and against it,” she said. “One of my friends said that he didn’t mind that they used the mascot and name and his reasoning was that we should be proud that they ARE using our tribe, our name, our heritage; as long as they aren’t using it to demean or to degrade anybody.

“I’m still stuck in the middle. I mean, I do still get upset with how [some people] try to cover it up… like the ‘Oh, we’re not trying to be racists. We’re not racist at all.’ But then you hear about people yelling [at Native Americans] during a game, ‘Go back to the reservations! Go back and get drunk!’ That is racist.”

Mandy

I eventually found myself at a Native American history museum where I spoke with Mandy, who is from the Navaho and Paiute tribes. She showed no hesitation in describing how she and many of her family felt about the controversy surrounding the Redskins’ name and logo.

“For me, it just doesn’t really bother me,” she said. “It’s just a name. But I do know that it bothers a lot of people. I have family members who say, ‘why are they using that? It’s kind of derogatory.’ But for me, I don’t see it that way. I really just think of it as a name. It really doesn’t bother me.

“That term probably used to be derogatory but I just don’t see it that way now.”

Mandy did tell me that she has both a cousin (female) and a friend (male) that are huge Washington Redskins fans and they both support the team whole-heartedly.

“They support the memorabilia, the jackets, the caps… “

She also said, however, that she knows people that have a problem with the name of the team because they feel that it puts down the Native American. But there are others that feel as she does.

“I have heard some people say that they are proud to be represented by the Redskins,” she told me.

Down at the Station: Firefighters Weigh In

I had a really interesting session at a fire station just outside of Phoenix (the second I had visited… no one would talk to me at the first).  Again, I was asked to not publish their names or the name of the station. I talked five fire fighters and all but one was of the men was Native American.

‘Steve,’ a 40-year-old Apache Native American and huge NFL and college football fan, seemed to feel much like Reva and Erica did… that the name just perpetuates a stereo-type by reminding people of a bad time in American history and the suppression of an entire race of people.

“Personally, I don’t mind the logo that Washington uses,” he stated. “But the term ‘Redskin’ turned into one that white people used to call the Indians while they evicted them from their land. The fact now is that, while the team obviously wants a name that shows strength, courage, pride… all those things you want in a moniker, no matter how good it looks, it reminds people of a really bad time in our history.”

‘Bob’ on the other hand, was the most animated of the bunch about why he felt that the Redskins’ team name and logo were fine. The 28-year-old is a member of the Hopi tribe.

“Man, people are mixing up racism in this whole thing and they just don’t need to,” he said. “Knowledge of history is important. Knowledge of the origin of the word is important and you have to separate that from what you might encounter in day-to-day life and the idiots you come across.

“IF the owner had used the word to label a group of American Indians that had just gotten off of a long day at work at a casino and IF he was saying they were a bunch of bums then, yea… that would be racist. But this is an NFL team. You think someone is going to want their team to be named something NOT to be proud of? Washington’s logo is respectful. It shows a strong Native American. Strong. Proud. I’ve seen it. I’ve studied it. The owner obviously loves his team. He wants the name not to remain because he’s trying to put down Native Americans but because he has pride in the team and the logo honors the American Indian. I mean, I know it’s hard. The racism [stinks]. But, some people, no matter if they’re Native American, black, white, Asian, Latino… they gotta have a scapegoat to blame their racial issues on.”

By the way, ‘Bob’ is a huge hockey fan.

Much of what the other fire fighters said was similar to what Alvin, Reva, Erica, Amanda, ‘Steve’ and ‘Bob’ had said. Two of the remaining three that I spoke with felt that the majority of people that were against the name were people that had experienced a measure of racism in their lives and so were ultra-sensitive to anything derogatory being “celebrated” (air quotes supplied by the interviewee).

A Mom of a Great Kid

Valerie Tubinaghtewa, a Hopi tribal member, told me a poignant story about her high-school aged son, Travis, who attends Thunderbird High School in Phoenix (the mascot is a Chief). Last October, the school student body voted to have their Homecoming Spirit Day theme as ‘Cowboys vs. Indians.’ Being that there is a small population of Native American kids that attend the school (six, including Travis), it is obvious why some would consider this in bad taste.

Valerie said that her son immediately feared that there would be silly stereotypical behavior by some of the students as they dressed up like cowboys or Indians and perpetuated the type of actions seen in old westerns. Travis was committed to doing something about the situation so he and some other kids met with the principal of the school (Jeannie Paparella) before the assembly to talk about it. According to Valerie, the school official would not change her mind and insisted that they would go forward as planned.

Not surprisingly, Valerie was very proud of her son’s perseverance and courage.  Later, she and some other adults also met with Paparella but had no luck changing her mind. The principal admitted and maintained that the day was supposed to have been themed, ‘Cowboys and Indians’, not ‘Cowboys versus Indians.’

Of course, things went exactly as Travis and his family had feared. The white kids dressed up like cowboys and Indians and acted raucously and inappropriately. Travis was actually bullied by other students and one of his cousins was harassed in his ROTC class. At one point, there was real concern about the safety of any Native American kids attending the assembly. Some of the homecoming activities were cancelled and the students got angry but Travis, although concerned with the backlash, went to school and held his head high.

Valerie felt that the school should have stepped up and done a better job of not letting the situation get out of hand but the entire thing blew up on Facebook and was in the news. The damage had been done.

Mrs. Tubinaghtewa says that monikers/logos like the Washington Redskin have perpetuated an inaccurate stereotype of Native Americans. She feels that the fact that Snyder feels pride and honor in the name/logo carries no weight with her because he does not live with the racism that she and her family and countless other American Indians do. While no one should make assumptions when they have not walked in another’s shoes, it’s understandable that she might think an NFL owner has nothing like that to worry about.

“Being a cowboy is an occupation,” she told me near the end of our conversation. “Being an [American] Indian is a way of life. If Dan Snyder could look beyond his emotional attachment [to the Redskins’ name], he could be a real instrument of change.”

Two Sides to Every Coin

This is a difficult situation for all involved. There is no doubt that, in some cases, a team name and/or logo can absolutely represent an incorrect stereotype. Look at Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo. On the other hand however, the Redskins’ logo shows a proud, strong and brave warrior.

It appears from some of the stories I heard that it is the accompanying racism that puts some folks over the edge when it comes to Washington’s team name and logo. The issue is heightened by the awful racism that the Native American has had to endure since caucasian Europeans first came to this country. It has unfortunately, continued.

If one were to understand the origins of the word itself, it is no more derogatory than the word “Indian,” “African American” or “Caucasian.” Consider this. In David Skinner’s article, “The Real History of the Word Redskin. It’s Not What You Think” he writes:

“Of course, the names of many peoples who have been at war have been used with an intention to demonize or denigrate. That we can find Germans spoken of with malice during World War II, though, does not make [the term] ‘German’ slang or offensive.”

This does not excuse any use of ‘Redskin’ derogatorily. It only shows that its use by the team does not have to be seen as a slur.

It would be ideal if Washington’s team name was an instrument of change in showing non-Native Americans that Native Americans are a people that are absolutely worthy of the same respect and honor that any other race receives in this country and the world. Because the logo indicates bravery, courage and strength, could it be embraced as representative of its heritage? There has been so much degradation and suppression of the American Indian that it is easy to understand their sensitivity to any Native American moniker. But perhaps it is not the word itself that is degrading. It seems that it’s actually the behavior of ignorant and closed-minded individuals that gives it any sort of derogatory meaning.

One of the young men I spoke to (26-years-old) who wanted to remain anonymous admitted that he thought the Redskins’ logo was one of the few in the professional sports world that was acceptable because there was no question of its intent… it depicts a strong, stoic warrior. Chief Wahoo and the old Kansas City Chiefs’ logos were the worst according to ‘Eddie’ because neither was respectful. He said he wishes the Washington team would not change the name but rather actually do something to increase the public’s knowledge about its history.

* * * * * * * * * * *  * *

QUESTION: Even if not directly a cause of racism against the Native American population, can monikers such as the Washington Redskins’ be tolerated in today’s society? Does the name and logo draw direct association with negative stereotypes of Native Americans?

Apparently it does… for some.

Obviously, ideally, racism against any culture or people should be eradicated. But that will never happen without education, understanding and a mutual respect of anything different from oneself.

That being said, perhaps the Redskins, as an organization, could further their cause if they take additional steps besides the owner’s new Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation. This foundation deals directly with Native Americans by providing supplies and opportunities to them and it will certainly do a lot of good. But there is other work that could be done. Educating ALL people, American Indians included, about the history of the word ‘Red-skin’ would be helpful. Honoring the Native American heritage openly — especially because the franchise has the moniker it has — could help. What if statues of famous Native Americans… especially any from the Washington, D.C. area… were erected out at FedEx Field, Redskins Park or anywhere deemed appropriate? What if American Indians that were instrumental in furthering understanding when there was so much rampant ignorance displayed by the whites and/or Europeans that did so much damage were honored in some way? There are opportunities out there to honor Native Americans.

Who’s to know if the Redskins not changing their name can help achieve the understanding required to bring at least some peace to the American Indians who have had to fight so hard against racism for the honor and respect they deserve?  Native American culture is filled with beautiful and unique customs and beliefs. It could go a long way to honor them and the Washington Redskins’ organization is powerful enough to do it on a fairly large scale. Perhaps it will blaze a trail for other sports teams to take as well.

Doing the things I’ve suggested would be a huge endeavor because so much damage has been done. But the Native American culture and its people — which I have come to so highly admire — are worth the fight.

Hail.