A Native American group has threatened to boycott the Washington Commanders football team if the team does not revert to its older title, the Redskins.
The group, Native American Guardians Association, has asked the team to change its name back to the Redskins in a letter dated Monday. The team decided to change its name in 2020, settling with the new name, the Commanders, in 2022.
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"Should we need to encourage a national boycott similar to what happened with Anheuser Busch 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 read.
????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
The group's threat of a boycott comes after Anheuser-Busch, the owner of Bud Light and several other beer brands, reported a nearly $400 million loss in the second quarter of this year. The loss in revenue has been cited by many to be from a boycott of Anheuser-Busch following a partnership that Bud Light did with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
In its letter to the Washington Commanders, signed by Eunice Davidson, the group's founder and president, the group points to a poll that found that 90% of Native Americans did not find the Redskins name offensive. The group also pointed to how other sports teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Blackhawks, have kept their Native American-inspired names while recognizing that the names carry "an obligation of honor and respect."
"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.
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An online petition asking the Commanders to change its name back to the Redskins was also cited in the letter, which as of Tuesday morning has over 67,000 signatures.
The Washington Examiner has contacted the Washington Commanders for comment.