Redskins received 7,000 letters in support of the name, 200 from Native Americans
By Mike Dyce
The Washington Redskins are still defending their name and have released some new information. The team says they have received more than 7,000 letters in support of the team name and they say 200 of them were from self-identified Native Americans.
They shared comments from a few of the Native Americans who wrote them to illustrate their support. “The following statements were received as emails to Dan Snyder in an unprompted response to the letter he released last fall about the team’s name. Seven letters were received from Native Americans opposed to the team name.”
“As a family who is part Cherokee and Blackfoot, we wholly support the Washington Redskins. IT is the name and portrayal of the Native Americans who have been through so much over the decades, we not only feel it would be wrong to change the name of the team, but would also be doing a disservice as well. We believe the Redskins and the logo are not only a source of pride for our Native American ancestors, but also a way to pay tribute to the lives lost and many years of pain and suffering enfured [sic] by our ancestors. It is a constant reminder of the strength of the Native American people.”
– Elizabeth and Adam Bradshaw, Cherokee and Blackfoot (Hampton, Va.)
“As a SKINS fan since mid-60’s and an American Indian descendent I am very proud of the name and our fight song. I do not find them offensive or derogatory.”
– Arthur Dymond, Algonquin (Huntingtown, Md.)
“I have been a Redskins fan my entire life as have my father and my grandfather. I also have ancestors who were Native American, of the Cherokee Nation. … If I thought for a second that the team name was offensive or dishonorable, I would no longer be a fan.”
– J. Barrett Crook, Cherokee (Smithfield, Va.)