The Washington Commanders have always had a unique relationship with the Native American community. Their former team nickname was considered divisive as a slur despite being hailed by fans. A new design for the team logo is reigniting the debate around the team's history.
This week the Commanders unveiled an alternate helmet aimed at a "joining of past and present" by presenting the letter W with a spear through it. But while plenty of fans liked seeing the homage to their old identity brought back, the Association on American Indiana Affairs was outraged.
In a statement, the organization told USA Today Sports that they considered the logo "disappointing and inappropriate." They called on the NFL team to stop trying to use Native American imagery as their mascot.
“The Washington Commanders' decision to update their logo is disappointing and inappropriate to say the least,’’ the organization said. “It is time to stop repeating this cycle and listen to Native Peoples who have been clear, consistent, and unwavering on this issue: We are not your mascot.’’
Others weigh in
Activist Suzan Harjo, who took part in multiple lawsuits against the franchise over their prior name and mascot, believes that the Commanders are continuously trying to appease fans who insist on reverting to the prior name.
“There are a lot of people in Washington D.C. (and parts of Virginia and Maryland) who really long for the days of the dreaded R-word,’’ Harjo said. “It was a vile name. It was one of the vilest ever.’’
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) also weighed in on the new design, calling it "harmful" and warned of the "insidious message" it can carry.
"The new alternate logo, released by the franchise this week, purports to join the past and present," the organization told USA Today. "NCAI maintains that any prideful nod to a harmful past, even one that may appear harmless on its face, can carry an insidious message and is therefore harmful."
But there's no shortage of support for the new design either. There is a very large and vocal contingent of fans who long for the old name and identity, regardless of how disgusted it makes Native Americans.
