Despite the pressure that has been put on the Washington Redskins to change their name to something more politically correct, the overwhelming majority of the ethnic group that the mascot represents aren’t offended by the Redskin’s name.
A new Washington Post poll that surveyed 504 Native Americans nationwide showed that 9 out of 10 were not offended by the Washington Redskins and the logo that depicts a Native American man. In fact, 73 percent of those surveyed didn’t believe the word “Redskin” was disrespectful to Native Americans, and 80 percent said they would not be personally offended if a non-Native American person called them a “Redskin.”
The Washington Redskins are not the only team that has been pressured to ditch their Native American mascot. Many colleges and universities that once donned Native American mascots have bowed down to the rules of political correctness and changed their mascots. Most recently in 2015, the University of North Dakota changed its name from the Fighting Sioux to the Fighting Hawks. In 2007, while keeping their Fighting Illini nickname, the University of Illinois retired their mascot, Chief Illiniwek, who was part of pregame traditions at the university.
The Washington Post poll showed that in reality, the activists who have pressured teams to change their Native American mascots care more about changing these teams names than most of the Native American community. In fact, some Native Americans have even embraced and endorsed the use of their tribes as a nickname. For instance, the Seminole tribe has supported Florida State University and its use of the Seminole mascot.
Native American opinions on these mascots has not changed at all in the past 12 years. A study done in 2004 by the Annenberg Public Policy Center also showed that only a small minority of the Native American population want teams to get rid of their Native American mascots in favor of a more politically correct alternative.
The results of this survey could help Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder prove that the Redskin nickname is still acceptable. The results also indicate that those pressuring teams to change their mascots may misrepresent the opinions of the Native American population.
