Stories Behind the Fur

Redskins can continue to use its name

November 18, 2009 at 5:44 am Leave a comment

CNN reports that the Washington Redskins on Monday got a glimmer of a win contrary to the team’s performance on the field. (3-6) The U.S. Supreme Court, refused to intervene in an appeal first initiated in 1992, where a group of Native Americans state the team’s mascot “has been historically a disparaging racial epithet”. The NFL franchise argues that they have spent millions in promotion and advertising as well as “protecting its (trade)mark”.

The team has had a formal trademark since 1967 and the organization has been the Redskins since 1933. Prior to that they were known as the Braves.

This debate and argument has been ongoing in college sports where the NCAA in 1995 advised some schools to remove “hostile or abusive” nicknames or mascots. Hence the search for a new mascot for the College of William and Mary and the saga of Chief Illiniwek. Currently Florida State’s Seminoles have little problem in its mascot use, since there is an agreement with the Seminole Native American Tribe. CNN continues in its article, that a state judge last week temporarily blocked efforts for a mascot change for University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux, and like FSU, Central Michigan University Chippewas will be allowed to continue to use their name.

Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: Chief Illiniwek, College of William and Mary, FSU, Seminoles, Tribe, Washington Redskins.