Oneida Indian Nation Releases Poll Data Showing That a Name Change by Washington's NFL Team Would Lead to Continued or Strengthened Support for the Team
Oneida Nation Homelands (NY) (PRWEB) October 16, 2013 -- The Oneida Indian Nation today released in-depth public opinion survey research showing that if the Washington NFL team stops using a racial slur as its name, then the vast majority of Washington-area residents (73%) say the move will either not weaken their support for the team, or would actually strengthen their support.
The polling also shows that an overwhelming majority of respondents (77%) believe that Washington team owner Dan Snyder should meet face-to-face with Native Americans who have expressed concerns about the use of the R-word slur as the NFL team's name.
"You cannot poll morality, and our hope is that Mr. Synder will demonstrate true leadership and change the offensive name, not because of what any public opinion studies show, but because it's the right thing to do," said Oneida Indian Nation representative Ray Halbritter. "However, this polling information is valuable because it shows that the team has nothing to fear economically by changing its name. In fact, the data indicates that the team stands to actually gain support from its fans by finally making the right decision and changing the name. As proud sponsors of the NFL, we want to see the league succeed and hope that the Washington team will finally take this important step, which would reflect positively on them and the NFL."
Defenders of the Washington team's offensive name have repeatedly referenced another poll that is nearly a decade old to bolster their position. This newly-released, updated information provides an important and timely snapshot of where the public actually stands on the issue of a name change for the NFL's Washington franchise.
Most poll respondents (59%) say Native Americans have a right to feel offended by the term "redskins" and 44% say that when they learn the term is defined as "offensive" by the dictionary, they are more likely to support changing the team name. Additionally, most people (66%) say that if Snyder meets with Native American leaders, he should not refer to them as "redskins" because the term is inappropriate.
Added Halbritter: “As the numbers show, when people learn the actual definition of this offensive term, many say it is time for a change. We hope Mr. Snyder will heed the call to meet with Native peoples so that he can personally hear why we believe it is time for him to change his team's name and be on the right side of history."
The Oneida Indian Nation has conducted public opinion polling as a part of its national "Change the Mascot" campaign. This first installment of polling data was conducted by SurveyUSA, which surveyed men and women residing in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
SurveyUSA has an unmatched track record of accuracy over twenty years of polling and conducts more local polling than any other research firm in the United States. Year after year, analysts rank SurveyUSA at or near the top of America's most accurate pollsters.
Joel Barkin, Oneida Indian Nation, +1 (646) 715-7190, [email protected]
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