Should Native Americans be offended by the Washington Redskins and/or the Cleveland Indians?

Question

If it were all other skin colors - would it be more/less offensive?

Answer 1

my high school team name is the redskins so no

Answer 2

dont you guys get annoyed with this political correct c**p. jesus man, get over it. and the team name has been there for 75 years. its kinda too late to sue for this c**p

Answer 3

No.  

What about Trojans, Fighting Irish, Spartans, Padres, 49ers, Hoosiers, or any number of teams named after a group of people?  I don't hear anyone complaining about those names.

My high school was the Big Reds (Indian) and to be the mascot you had to be at least 1/4 Indian, they had an authentic Indian outfit, and did authentic Indian dances.  Its Michigan so Indian tribes are everywhere.  Those tribes approved as long as the outfit, dances, and person doing them was an Indian because it promoted their Indian heritage which isn't really discussed in schools these days.  However some non Indian people complained and forced the school to stop using anything Indian related.  Now its just the Big Reds (the color).  The school, students, and even Indian tribes were pissed.

Answer 4

NO not at all. Someone will name something that will offend someone. Its just a name.

Answer 5

My fathers people are native americans /indians. They are not offended and neither am I. I like and agree with snapshots answer.

Answer 6

Well, i guess because "redskins" is extremely politically incorrect, also, the Indians logo portrays the logo with beet red skin, which is a stereotype because Native Americans don't really have red skin.

Answer 7

When there was a bounty on the heads of the Indian people...the trappers would bring in Indian scalps along with the other skins that they had managed to trap or shoot. These scalps brought varying prices as did the skins of the animals. The trappers would tell the trading post owner or whoever it was that he was dealing with, that he had 2 bearskins, a couple of beaver skins...and a few scalps. Well, the term "scalp" offended the good Christian women of the community and they asked that another term be found to describe these things. So, the trappers and hunters began using the term "redskin"...they would tell the owner that they had bearskin, deer skins....and "redskins." The term came from the bloody mess that one saw when looking at the scalp...thus the term "red"...skin because it was the "skin" of an "animal" just like the others that they had...so, it became "redskins"

Proclamation issued in 1755

Given at the Council Chamber in Boston this third day of November 1755 in the twenty-ninth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Iceland, King Defender of the Faith.

By His Honour's command

J. Willard, Secry.

God Save the King

Whereas the tribe of Penobscot Indians have repeatedly in a perfidious manner acted contrary to their solemn submission unto his Majesty long since made and frequently renewed.

I have therefore, at the desire of the House of Representatives ... thought fit to issue this Proclamation and to declare the Penobscot Tribe of Indians to be enimies, rebels, and traitors to his Majesty. And I do hereby require his Majesty's subjects of the Province to embrace all opportunities of pursuing, captivating, killing, and destroy all and every one of the aforesaid Indians.

And wereas the General Court of this Province have voted that a bounty.... be granted and allowed to be paid out of the Province Treasury.... The premiums of bounty following viz:

For every scalp of a male Indian brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, forty pounds.

For every scalp of such female Indian or male Indian under the age of twelve years that shall be killed and brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, twenty pounds.

Now tell me would you find the term offensive if you were an Native American

Answer 8

nobody cares  

Answer 9

so what does it matter it is a baseball team why did you have to point that out

Answer 10

While names such as the "Washington Wetbacks" or "Cleveland Crackers" would never be tolerated today, the Redskins and Indians were dubbed as such in the early 20th century, when political correctness didn't exist.

COULD Native Americans be offended by the Washington Redskins or Cleveland Indians?  Yes.  SHOULD they be?  I don't think so.  I don't think anybody has any attachment to those names except for reasons of tradition.  If they changed the names, the entire histories of the franchises would slowly be forgotten.  Many smaller colleges and high schools are changing their names from Native American mascots, but changing a huge pro franchise (the Redskins name is the 2nd most valuable franchise in the NFL) would make a lot of people upset.

And as a previous answer stated, why would you be offended if a sports team, a group of hard working people who are among the best in the world at what they do, was named after you.

Again, these are just my opinions.  I'm not a Native American, so I couldn't possibly give the best answer.

Answer 11

They should be flattered. Crafty, tough, winners ect,ect.

Answer 12

people are way too sensitive i think its an honor to be associated with a team name. as a black man all of the other names mentioned would be intentionally harmful like darkies or crackers. i think the name Indians, redskins, or braves comes with the native Americans being a tough, noble culture which is what you want your teams to be.. now on the other hand their logos do need work. the tomahawk chop is great too, don't act like big whitey made that up. it didn't start in Atlanta.

Answer 13

no the should ne honored a pro football team is named after them

Answer 14

Of course.  Would we tolerate the Boston Darkies?  The Washington Wetbacks?  To treat an ethnic group as a mascot is demeaning.  The cartoons and traditions associated with it (tomahawk chop, for example) are further signs of disrespect.

Answer 15

ABSOLUTELY !!  I'm not Native American and I'm offended by the racial slur. I 'm sure that if they were called the Crackers, Blackies or Chinks that there would be all kinds of lawsuits.  

Answer 16

....i guess these mascots are never seen as a tribute. what a shame.  

Answer 17

nope....PC and sports should never cross.

Answer 18

It's fuuny all the people we answer nobody is a native american, But my personal feeling is that theu don't give a d**n about this, those things not represent an offense, and just to clarify  yes they do have red skin as well as any other race (well except dark colors) cause they spent to much time into the sun

Answer 19

Not at all. Nobody is making fun of them when naming a team after them. I think many non-natives are more concerned about this than the native-americans themselves. Are the New England Patriots being disrespectful to our forefathers who fought the British? Certainly not. Are the Houston Texans poking fun at those brave men who fought in the Alamo? Hardly. Or how do you think the marine corps feel about the Seattle Mariners. I highly doubt they care. A team name is a commemoration, not an insult.  

Answer 20

it's just a name...who cares?

Answer 21

hmmm, let's see....a group of athletes that devote their life to play a sport they love. They display (for the most part) discipline & camaraderie.....and they win as a team, and also lose as a team. Why would a race be offended?? If anything, they would be proud that their heritage & race is represented by a bunch of hard working, dedicated guys.