Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty Collective, said in a statement Monday responding to Trump that “Native Americans are not mascots.”
“To equate Native people with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is a gross and ongoing tactic of dehumanization,” said Romero, who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation.
The National Congress of American Indians has since 1950 considered eradicating Native-themed mascots one of its priorities. President Mark Macarro called any attempt to purport to speak for Native communities “an affront to tribal sovereignty.”
“Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society,” Macarro said in a statement. “NCAI will continue to stand in support of the dignity and humanity of Native peoples.”
At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association, has filed petitions to bring back the Redskins and Cleveland Indians names.
A handful of fans who were asked by The Associated Press for their opinion generally dismissed Trump’s comments. Ender Tuncay, who grew up in the Washington area and returns to visit family, called it “typical Trump stupidity.”
“It’s just him focusing on things that aren’t consequential and trying to distract from the actual issues that are going on,” Tuncay said, adding he does not care what the name is. “But I’d like them to get the new stadium, for sure. I like this site where it is. My parents used to tell me stories of how great RFK was back when we were really, really good.”
Ford Flemmings, who worked as a vendor at the old RFK Stadium, said everyone is on the bandwagon with the name Commanders now that the team is winning.
“I liked Washington when it was just plain Washington,” Flemmings said. “If they change their name, so be it. I’ll still be a Washington (fan), whatever the Washington team is.”
