The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) has hit back at a team official who branded them a “fake group.”
NAGA remains keen on bringing the “Redskins” name back to Washington after putting a petition in circulation with the aim of getting the Commanders to revert to the aforementioned team name.
The petition, titled “Change The Washington Commanders Back To The Washington Redskins,” hit the web on June 21 and, as of August 29, has garnered over 128,000 signatures.
“The name “Redskins” carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture,” it reads.
“It was never intended as a derogatory or offensive term but as a symbol of respect and admiration. Changing the name abruptly disregards the positive legacy that the Redskins name has built over the years and disorients the passionate fans who have invested their emotions, time, and unwavering support in the team.”
A premium-seat sales manager for the team communicated the following to a former luxury seat holder in a text message:
“You understand the people that started this petition is a fake group, right?”
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NAGA co-founder and president Eunice Davidson has since offered a response.
“We’re not a fake group. We’re tribal-enrolled members from tribes across the United States,” Davidson told Fox News Digital in an interview. “People want to call us fake and they’ve done that before. They never tell our story and that’s their goal. To wipe out Native history. It’s discrimination when you go after one culture like this.”
Davidson reckons the move to rid the team of the name and remove Native American imagery from schools was the work of “racist white woke” college professors.
The Redskins name was removed in 2020, though 90 percent of Native Americans around the United States voted in favor of the name four years prior. The team played under the moniker, the Washington Football Team, before it changed to Commanders last year.
