American Indian history is neither romantic nor simplistically tragic. Native peoples suffered from virulent diseases and struggled to cope with the swarms of colonists who invaded their lands. They sent diplomats to Washington, D.C., hired lawyers and lobbyists, and waged PR campaigns, as they still do today. Some succumbed to the bribes offered by U.S. Indian agents. Others took up arms.
The current debate about the Washington team and its obstinate owner, Dan Snyder, has focused on determining whether its nickname is racist. Team management has presented poll results, cited expert linguists, and sought out supportive Indians. Take a step back, though, and it’s clear that the problem goes beyond one specific racial slur. In light of the manifold struggles that America’s first inhabitants have faced, attaching any Indian name to a multimillion-dollar sports franchise seems the most incongruous of honors.
Claudio Saunt is the Russell Professor of History at the University of Georgia and author of West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776.
Article Appeared @http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2014/07/washington_nfl_team_tribal_land_the_braves_chiefs_and_dan_snyder_s_franchise.html