Washington Football Fans: 'Go Back to the Reservation'; Hundreds Protest R-Word at FedEx Field

Wash ington Football Fans: 'Go Back to the Reservation'; Hundreds Protest R-Word at FedEx Field

Protest organizer and Washington, D.C.-based tribal attorney Tara Houska, Ojibwe, told ICTMN that people braved the early morning chill to send team owner Dan Snyder an unequivocal message that the R-word is a racially-motivated pejorative. Houska said although the day was a milestone in the campaign against the team name, many of the protesters were subjected to a barrage of expletives from fans.

"[Yesterday] was a moment in history -- hundreds of Native people marched and rallied at FedEx Field, the so-called cathedral of the Washington team," she said. "While we were screamed at, sworn at, told to 'go back to the reservation', we greeted fans and handed out educational flyers. [And] as Washington brought their season to an abysmal end, we closed out the year with a reminder that we will not stop. Our movement will continue to grow stronger, grow louder. We are human beings, not mascots.

OK i understand why people find this offensive..because it truly is. As A Native American....I also believe we are people and not mascots.

I also understand why some people want to keep the name, something to do with nostalgia, but this idiotic....to throw out racial names..etc.

Protest the protesters if you want, but it kind of loses it's purpose of saying" it's not a racial thing" and then scream racial terms at the protestors.

Ugh..some people are just moronic.

a reply to: Onslaught2996

What better way to distract folks from the Gubmint selling Native American lands to the Chinese, than to have folks on an uproar over a name of a professional sports team...


Makes perfect sense to me...

Those fans screaming "go back to the reservation" are probably the same ones claiming the logo and name "redskins" are not offensive. Personally I hope the protesters keep it up.

a reply to: Onslaught2996

Really?

As a native American you should be ashamed of yourself for supporting the government I so often see you supporting!

I would love to see the Native Americans get out of the Alcoholism and Gambling habitat that the US government so graciously granted them!

And the "Redskins" is what offends you?

WTF?

a reply to: JacKatMtn

What better way to distract folks from the Gubmint selling Native American lands to the Chinese, than to have folks on an uproar over a name of a professional sports team

Why would that distract the public from the Government selling parts of our national forests (and Native ancestral lands) to a Chinese firm? If anything, N.A. protesters are helping call attention to a number of issues they face. Consider this, the football game itself is a much better distraction to the ills of the gubment more than a small group of protesters could ever be.

First the N word.

Now the R word.

Well I'm white and I want a ban on the W word.

Only my group can use it, say it.

If anyone else uses it, it will become a racially insensitive issue that will go all to the Supreme court!

Peace

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Onslaught2996

Really?

As a native American you should be ashamed of yourself for supporting the government I so often see you supporting!

I would love to see the Native Americans get out of the Alcoholism and Gambling habitat that the US government so graciously granted them!

And the "Redskins" is what offends you?

WTF?

It is one of the things. Alcoholism and gambling are not just a Native issue. As a non Native I thank you for suggesting what I should choose to be offended by and what I shouldn't, but I am very happy in making my own decisions..

I am also not a spokesperson for the Native community, so my peoples issues are theirs and theirs alone. I choose not to engage in said behavior, but it is also not my place to decide for them.

If you are white or any color for that matter...should I decide for you what problems areas you should focus on or be offended by?

originally posted by: jude11
First the N word.

Now the R word.

Well I'm white and I want a ban on the W word.

Only my group can use it, say it.

If anyone else uses it, it will become a racially insensitive issue that will go all to the Supreme court!

Peace

And of course..here comes the change of subject to the poor me and my culture. OP is about racists and their statements made at protest and not about poor you and being white.

Also if people are aware of the selling off of our lands..then it is an issue that is being discussed.

I am sure my people have not forgot...but some choose to fight the constant racial onslaught we still face.

The government taking out land again..is a big issue, but this is also an issue some of us have chosen to fight.

originally posted by: Onslaught2996

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Onslaught2996

Really?

As a native American you should be ashamed of yourself for supporting the government I so often see you supporting!

I would love to see the Native Americans get out of the Alcoholism and Gambling habitat that the US government so graciously granted them!

And the "Redskins" is what offends you?

WTF?

It is one of the things. Alcoholism and gambling are not just a Native issue. As a non Native I thank you for suggesting what I should choose to be offended by and what I shouldn't, but I am very happy in making my own decisions..

I am also not a spokesperson for the Native community, so my peoples issues are theirs and theirs alone. I choose not to engage in said behavior, but it is also not my place to decide for them.

If you are white or any color for that matter...should I decide for you what problems areas you should focus on or be offended by?

Why is it okay for you to tell me what "I" should be offended by?

I love everyone regardless of their race! So you continue advocating the division of my country! I will continue to honor the words and works of MLK and advocate bringing us all together! DEAL?

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

IMO... to waste the effort to demonize a sports franchise name, not the only one in major pro / college sports to use reference to the Native Americans, does not help.

It's no secret that our Native Americans struggle on their granted lands, they deal with serious issues, it seems to me, that even the abundance of $$$$ reaped by their gambling abilities, have not succeeded in providing an environment for those living there, to live comfortably...

Why? I don't know, perhaps the land they were forced to, isn't conducive to a self sufficient lifestyle?

I don't know, I do think that whatever happens with this Spotlight on a national sports team, will not in the end HELP...

Folks just want to LIVE their lives, not to be forever relying on the Gubmint teat to put grub on the table...

The Gubmint, of course, does not want folks to live their own lives...

a reply to: JacKatMtn

I think it is more than just the name issue. It is about the total lack of respect that people and the government show us.

If we don't ask for a name change than we agreeing that people should not take us seriously and that you can push us around as much as you want without any consequences.

a reply to: Onslaught2996

I applaud you Native Americans!

Not being that into football, casually caring during playoffs, I have gotten into a few discussions with people about the absurdity of Washington calling themselves the R-word. It would be like the Chicago being called the Chicago N-words and people being like what is the problem we are honoring you!

Clearly it is racist, to top it off it is the mascot of Washington DC, the capital of which is and of itself an insult to the Native Americans due to this being their land. A constant reminder of the genocide that we committed and the cultural genocide we continue to commit.

a reply to: seeker1963

You must keep in mind that

A. We introduced alcohol and gambling to the Natives, nothing about which is gracious, I would call it sabotage.

B. When your ancestors have been raped, murdered, given disease, your land has been stolen and systematically destroyed, your upcoming generations have been stolen from you and indoctrinated into a way of life that is blasphemous to to all of your beliefs, then you are "given" a small amount of land in which the only option to make money is Casinos, it kind of makes sense that there would be addiction problems.

It is well within Native Americans means to be offended by every aspect of this country. Becoming a mascot with one of the most racist terms we could use is simply icing on the cake.

originally posted by: Onslaught2996

originally posted by: jude11
First the N word.

Now the R word.

Well I'm white and I want a ban on the W word.

Only my group can use it, say it.

If anyone else uses it, it will become a racially insensitive issue that will go all to the Supreme court!

Peace

And of course..here comes the change of subject to the poor me and my culture. OP is about racists and their statements made at protest and not about poor you and being white.

If you look close...really close, you'll get my true meaning.

But only if you take the time.

Peace

a reply to: Onslaught2996

This OP is a perfect example of how political ideologies are a disease, religion etc etc.....

Sorry Onslaught, but as far as I know, I don't have an ounce of Native American blood in my body. But let me tell you something! As a European white American, you really should take notice of how you have allowed American politics to convince you to turn your back on your "people"!

Where were you when the US government told the American Indians that they could sell booze tax free? Where were you when the US government allowed cigarettes to be sold "tax free"? Now in the new light that Eric Holder has said that "Indians" can grow MJ on their reservations, what say you?

Obviously you have chosen the "Political Correct" course of action? Well, shame on you! You think words are more offensive than actions that oppress your people!

a reply to: Onslaught2996

Tough scenario.. look at our inner cities, in nearly 2015 and even folks not on gubmint approved Native lands are allowed to tread water at the beck and call of the big bad gubmint...

Issue isn't the folks, it's those in DC, those allegedly elected to SERVE the people...

IMO, the longer WE (folks of wide diversity, black,brown, red, yellow, white, grey and green) allow the gubmint and those associated with them, to continue to divide the folks along those color, race lines.. the more power they get...

Are we tired of this formula yet? I mean, if you check out history, this isn't new... it's been going on for quite awhile now...

Enough is enough... until we all (on the outside) agree to join hands and deflect the intentional divide that originates from those in charge, we are in a perpetual wash rinse repeat cycle.

make sense?

a reply to: Onslaught2996

Not that they don't have a right to pick what offends them, but it looks like they have more critical problems to worry about within their community.

A toxic collection of pathologies — poverty, unemployment, domestic violence, sexual assault, alcoholism and drug addiction — has seeped into the lives of young people among the nation’s 566 tribes. Reversing their crushing hopelessness, Indian experts say, is one of the biggest challenges for these communities.

linky

I wonder if the Washington Redskin name conflict is really more of a diversion from the real issues within their community, and orchestrated by the more educated chief members ?

I think people need to stop being offended by words. The politically correct climate cannot be sustained. People find offense in everything the guy next to them does.

It's getting ridiculous.

a reply to: Onslaught2996

If you are white or any color for that matter...should I decide for you what problems areas you should focus on or be offended by?

You are correct!

I am of 100% German ancestry and I could not care less about this issue nor will I allow you to tell me to be offended. The Feds are my enemy, not some sports franchise.