California State Assembly Calls for the Washington NFL Team to Change Its Name
Oneida Nation Homelands (NY) (PRWEB) August 19, 2014 -- Leaders of the Change the Mascot campaign, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Oneida Indian Nation, today are applauding the California State Assembly for its passage of a resolution urging the Washington NFL team to end its use of the dictionary-defined R-word slur as its team name. The resolution called on the team “to adhere to the wishes of the millions of people who have joined Indian Country in urging that they change the team mascot.” Passed by a 49-5 vote on Monday, the resolution will now head to the State Senate of California,* which has the largest Native American population of any state.**
The California Assembly joins the D.C. Council*** and New York State Assembly****, which within the past year, unanimously passed resolutions calling upon the team to end its use of the racist epithet.
“Urging the owner of the Washington, D.C. NFL team to change the name is of the utmost importance to the heritage of our people,” said Marshall McKay, Tribal Chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “This important resolution is an extension of our efforts and an opportunity to join forces with others who also wish to see the name changed.”
NCAI Executive Director Jackie Pata and Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter added in a joint statement today: “As Washington team officials continue to slur Native Americans, more and more voices from across the country are standing on the right side of history and saying it is time for a change. First the D.C. City Council called on the team to change its name, then New York and its 19 million residents joined the movement, followed by 50 senators representing millions of Americans who then signed on, and now the California State Assembly which represents more than 38 million Californians have endorsed our efforts to change the degrading name. The people are speaking through their democracy, saying something that should be obvious: there is no place in America for a billionaire NFL team owner to continue promoting, marketing and profiting off of a dictionary-defined racial slur.”
The Change the Mascot campaign continues to gain momentum as an ever-growing national chorus speaks out against the team’s offensive and derogatory name. Just this week, Phil Simms and Tony Dungy, two of the most prominent voices in the National Football League, said they likely won’t use the team’s R-word name when discussing the Washington franchise.*****
*Lawmakers ask NFL to support Redskins' name change, 8.18.14,
pro32.ap.org/article/lawmakers-ask-nfl-support-redskins-name-change
**census.gov/aian/
***D.C. Council calls on Washington Redskins to ditch ‘racist and derogatory’ name, 11.5.13, washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-calls-on-washington-redskins-to-ditch-racist-and-derogatory-name/2013/11/05/17cbbd66-4646-11e3-bf0c-cebf37c6f484_story.html
****NEW YORK LAWMAKERS DENOUNCE NFL REDSKINS NAME, 5.6.14, bigstory.ap.org/article/new-york-lawmakers-denounce-nfl-redskins-name
*****Simms, Dungy Likely Not to Use 'Redskins' on TV, 8.8.14, abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/phil-simms-considers-redskins-tv-25026312
Jim Heins, Oneida Indian Nation, +1 (315) 829-8310, [email protected]
Share this article