A Native American group has threatened a national boycott of the Washington Commanders unless the NFL team reverses course and changes its name back to the Washington Redskins.
The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) wrote on Twitter — now X — that the group, along with its Founder and President Eunice Davidson, have sent a letter to the “Washington ‘Commanders’ Ownership & Key Leadership Formally Requesting The Team Revitalize it’s Relationship With The American Indian Community & Rightfully Change Their Name Back to ‘The Redskins.'”
🚨BREAKING: Native American Guardian’s Association Founder & President Eunice Davidson Sent a Demand Letter Today to Washington "Commanders" Ownership & Key Leadership Formally Requesting The Team Revitalize it's Relationship With The American Indian Community & Rightfully Change… pic.twitter.com/cpau4hVq6H
— Native American Guardians Association (@GuardiansNative) August 7, 2023
In a letter that addressed what the group called the “cancel culture” against the Native American population and the erasure of its “steadfast role in American history, including serving as counselors to the Founding Fathers in the creation of the U.S. constitution.”
The letter talked about the history of the Washington football team and it’s relationship with the Native American community dating back to its 1933 season when they were named the Boston Redskins.
“At this moment in history, we are formally requesting that the team revitalize its relationship with the American Indian community by (i) changing the name back to ‘The Redskins’ which recognizes America’s original inhabitants and (ii) using the team’s historic name and legacy to encourage Americans to learn about, not cancel, the history of America’s tribes and our role in the founding of this Great Nation,” the letter read.
“Should we need to encourage a national boycott similar to what happened with Anheuser Busch (Bud Light) which is now down $27 billion (note, not one brick thrown, not one highway blocked, not one bridge burned) — WE WILL DO JUST THAT,” the letter added.
The letter closed out by noting that in 2023, this “oppression and arbitrary and capricious recognition of U.S. history and Constitutional rights is not acceptable.” The group also vowed to stand their ground because, if “you don’t acknowledge history, we are doomed to repeat it.”
In 2020, the team announced it was removing Redskins from its name and two years later announced the national professional football team would be called the Washington Commanders.
The name change came about from pressure from the cancel culture mob following the death of George Floyd and those who claimed that the term was racist and offensive to Native Americans.