If we want to start talking about offensive words and word that have profound impact, let’s start with “Redskins.” The word Redskin comes from the dehumanizing of American Indians during the days of conquest. Assuming that the white man is the “perfect” color, he used the word Redskin to separate himself from the what he saw as the Creators perfect creation. Even the Supreme Court ruled that the football team known as the “Redskins” can not use it as trademark. The court ruled that its genus was from a derogatory word like the “N” word.
Lets get serious, if we really want to stop using offensive words that have a long history of prejudice, then let’s start with words that have become rooted in the history of real pain and suffering.
Most Americans don’t care about changing their views of native people. Even native people have started to use the word as a symbol and a way of assimilating into American society. That’s just wrong. We can’t participate in our own dehumanization. We are human beings and our tribal names have always symbolized that.
Colleges and schools have been changing their names to help with humanizing First Nation peoples. Can you believe that in the year 2010, American Indians are still fighting for some respect just as a people?
Help out by asking the football team known as the Redskins to change their name to First Americans. They wouldn’t have to change their logo. How easy that would be. It might even have a karmic effect and they might start winning games again.
And that leads to another story. The story of native people who played football. Make sure to stay tuned.
