After a sales manager for the NFL’s Washington Commanders called them a “fake group” when they demanded in a petition that the team return to their original Washington Redskins name, the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) fired back.
Former luxury box owner Christina King — who relinquished her suite after the Redskins changed their name — had texted Matthew Laux, a premium-seat sales manager for the Commanders and FedEx Field, “This name change WAS, IS & forever will be a major problem,” adding, “We just signed the petition from NAGA … We will come back as suite owners when the name reverts back to the Washington Redskins … The team never should have never been pressured into changing the name.”
Laux replied, “You understand the people that started this petition is a fake group, right?” He added, “As a fan of the team I didn’t want it [the Redskins name] changed either.”
“We’re not a fake group,” NAGA Eunice Davidson, a self-described “full-blooded Dakota Sioux” who is the co-founder and president, fired back. “We’re tribal-enrolled members from tribes across the United States.” She blasted “racist white woke” college professors and academics, saying, “People want to call us fake and they’ve done that before. They never tell our story and that’s their goal: to wipe out Native history. It’s discrimination when you go after one culture like this.”
Native American historian M. Andre Billeaudeaux, the author of “How The Redskins Got Their Name,” commented, “These people are just ignorant. It’s toxic ignorance. It’s group think. It’s the psychology of a group that has no idea what they’re doing, but they won’t listen to us, either. … Redskins is not about race. It’s a warrior who’s gone through the bloodroot ceremony. … They shave their heads and surrender their souls to their Creator. They paint themselves red as if they were born new into the world.”
“The Redskins were the only minority representation in the entire NFL and it was a real person, not a mascot,” Billeaudeaux added. “The name Redskins is a national treasure. And for that reason it should be protected. It’s a cultural treasure and deserves to be protected and understood. It’s not just about the football team. It’s about the DNA of the nation.”
“We’re Redskins fans, not Commanders fans,” King argued. “We’re not coming back until the name comes back. They’ve taken these images from sports. They bowed to the woke and they’re trying to erase Native American history.”
The Commanders issued a statement saying, “For nearly 90 years, this franchise had a different name, and many have fond memories of cheering for that team and watching it win three Super Bowls. This does not signify any shift in our approach nor does it change the valid reasons for dropping the name.”
A spokesperson for the team informed Fox News Digital that Laux does not speak for the team.