Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the Black Liberation-Intigenous Sovereigtty Collective, said in a statement on Monday that responded to Trump that “Indians are not mascots.”
“Equales native people with cartoon -like mascots next to animals is a gross and continuous tactic of dehumanization,” said Romero, a registered member of the eastern Shoshone Nation.
Since 1950, the National Congress of American Indians has supposed to be mascots with a native theme one of its priorities. President Mark Macarro called an attempt to claim to speak for indigenous communities ‘an insult to tribal sovereignty’.
“Images and fanging behavior that mock, humiliating and dehumanes are native people have no place in modern society,” Macarro said in a statement. “Ncai will remain standing to support the dignity and humanity of indigenous peoples.”
At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association, has submitted petitions to reduce the names of Redskins and Cleveland Indians.
A handful of fans who were asked for their opinion by the Associated Press generally rejected Trump’s comments. Ender Tuncay, who grew up in the Washington area and returns to visit family, called it “typical Trump -Domheid.”
“He is only that he focuses on things that are not consistent and try to distract from the actual issues that are going on,” Tuncay said, adding that he doesn’t care what the name is. “But I would like them to get the new stadium, certainly. I like this site where it is. My parents always told me about how great RFK was back when we were really, really good.”
Ford Flemmings, who worked as a seller in the old RFK stadium, said that everyone is on the bandwagon with the name commanders now wins the team.
“I liked Washington when it was just Washington,” said Flemmings. “If they change their name, it is so. I will still be a Washington (fan), whatever the Washington team is.”
