DIGEST KEY

Still reeling from the news Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Steve Czaban proceeded to taunt Native people’s reaction to the trademark cancellation:

[They're] going to dance around like in the final scene of Star Wars, like they just defeated the evil empire. Go ahead dance around and do whatever it does that assuages your white liberal guilt but nothing has changed, nothing will change. This is the biggest nothingburger story ever … Maybe we can get therapy for [them], chip in, get to the core of their guilt and understand what is it that’s nagging you.

Well, we didn’t dance around like Ewoks, but myself and other Native people from across the country celebrated together via social media at a Facebook Event page called, appropriately enough, “Redsk*ns Trademark Cancellation Day.” And it didn’t “assuage our white liberal guilt” but it did mark an important step for Native people fighting against defamation and stereotypes and toward obtaining protections under the law that other ethnic groups in the U.S. have enjoyed for decades and that we are only starting to realize now 50 years after the March on Washington.

I had to laugh as Cooley and company wondered aloud why this is an issue, and the only reason they could come up with was that it’s an attack on the team’s improved performance. It’s obvious that, insulated in their conservative world of professional football, they have been completely blindsided by the social media organizing of Native people and our allies in organizations like Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, which I helped found, and which now has more than 900 members from across the United States and Canada representing tribal members from hundreds of tribes and communities both urban and reservation.

For decades we have lagged behind other groups in getting recognition for our concerns, because we are only 1 percent of the population — a staggeringly low figure that is itself a legacy of U.S. policies designed to remove us as a threat to expansion into our lands. I know from arguing with the team’s supporters online that virtually none of them have ever even met a Native American person. Railing against me and other Natives is often the first time they’ve had a conversation with an actual citizen of a remaining Native nation.

What I find the most amazing when talking to supporters of the team name is the complete absence of knowledge about the Native community that they speak from, yet they nonetheless feel emboldened to speak for us, insisting, for example, that we don’t find the name offensive.

This all falls in line with studies showing that the use of Native mascots actually inflates the self-esteem of non-Natives, while having the opposite effect on Native people themselves. In a 2008 research paper, Stephanie Fryberg, a cultural and social psychology scholar and an enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribe, reported that exposure to mascot images like Chief Wahoo decreased Native youth self-esteem even more than that of stereotypically negative images (such as those depicting alcoholism and homelessness). These results even held true for Native people who claimed to find Native mascots positive.

These contrasting responses to Native mascots may serve as a clue as to why they are so difficult for fans to let go of, and why Native people, even when polled, may be unaware of the damage they do to their communities. The results also speak to a normative level of isolation Native people experience from American culture every day, both on and off the reservation. We have become acclimated to this and it comes at a heavy price. Native suicide rates are at 18 percent — twice as high as the nearest ethnic group.

In their ability to inflate non-Native self-esteem while doing great damage to those directly represented by them, Native mascots constitute another taking by the United States from our people. The phenomenon gives life to the term “Redsk*ns” as a present-day form of bounty on another generation of the indigenous population. As a mascot it lives up to its historic meaning as a war trophy.

And yet, Cooley and company claimed during their show that 70-to-90 percent of Native people are proud to call themselves “Redsk*ns.” They appeared not to have heard of the most recent study done by California State University, San Bernadino, that found 67 percent of Native Americans found the Washington team name offensive. (By contrast, only 20 percent disagreed and 12 percent were neutral, while a full 60 percent of white respondents said they did not find the term racist.) The constant reiteration by Cooley and other Washington supporters — that Native Americans don’t care — shows an extreme ignorance about Native people.

My organization, Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, has its origins on Twitter, where we met after arguing together with Washington fans. About 120 of us began meeting on Facebook during the football season to file FCC obscenity complaints online every time the word was used during Washington games. (I have, in my time, filed many FCC forms reporting the usage of the ethnic slur by the ESPN 980 announcers, in particular. My hope is that with this trademark decision that I will never have to file another one.) About 450 of us trended #NotYourMascot during the Super Bowl, and we will continue our hashtag activism as a way of creating that environment where the use of a slur for an NFL team in the nation’s capital will become more and more unacceptable. We will also apply public pressure on sponsors to distance themselves from a slur that has been denied a federal trademark.

Our group has grown to more than 900 members from across the country, and from nearly every tribe in the United States. We are Native American parents, professors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, small business owners, artists, elders and tribal leaders. Our organization is completely volunteer and yet the depth of the talent in our group means there is never any limitation to what we can do. This is the real Native America that our fellow Americans need to know about. Yes, we are just 1 percent of the population; yes, 30 percent of us live on sometimes remote reservations, and 70 percent are dispersed in urban communities where we exist as minorities among minorities. But we still have the right to basic human decency and respect.

This week, Native America Calling, http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/, Airs Live Monday - Friday, 1-2pm Eastern, 1-800-996-2848 (1-800-99-NATIVE).

Monday, June 23, 2014 – The Future of Native Education 
Teachers are taking a well-deserved break right now. But the conversation about improving education for Native American students never stops. In President Obama’s recent speech on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, he said “let’s put our minds together to improve our schools -- because our children deserve a world-class education, too, that prepares them for college and careers.” Improving education for Native students can take many forms. Join us as we discuss Native education reform with Native educators. Guests include: Kara Bobroff (Navajo/Lakota) founder and principal of the Native American Community Academy and Ahniwake Rose (Cherokee/Muscogee) executive director of the National Indian Education Association.

Break Song: Super Soaker 3000 (song) Young Bird (artist) Dedicated (album)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 — Dam Removal 
Dams can serve many purposes but some dams built in the 20 th century caused unintended consequences. There’s a growing movement in some parts of the United States to remove dams and return rivers to their original form. Whether spurred on by aging infrastructure or litigation, the decision to tear down these structures is complex and often emotional. Join us as we learn more about current and past dam removal projects in Native America. 

Break Song: Dance for the Coyote (song) Tom Duncan (artist) Earth Warrior(album)

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - Contemporary Alaska Native Art 
Art forms in Native communities across Alaska are influenced by culture, tradition, geography and contact with people who arrived from Europe and Russia. In this hour, we will explore how artists respond to contemporary issues while also drawing on the traditions of their community. Are you an artist who balances culture and contemporary influences? Who are your favorite Alaska Native artists today? This program is part of the Native Artists of Alaska Radio Series.

Break Song: Our Grandparent's Song (song) Talibah (artist) Navajo Songs for Children(album)

Thursday, June 26, 2014– Smoke Signals the Movie Reunion
It’s been 16 years since film “Smoke Signals” made its way to audiences around the country. The film is now a beloved classic among both Native and non-native audiences. It’s often hailed for its view on modern day life for Native Americans. What has this film meant to you over the years? Can you recite some scenes word for word? We invite you to join us as we open the hour to the original cast and crew to explore the long term impact of “Smoke Signals.” Guests include Sherman Alexie (Spokane/ Coeur d'Alene), Chris Eyre (Cheyenne and Arapaho), Evan Adams (Sliammon First Nation), Irene Bedard (Inupiaq Yup'ik) and others.

Break Song: John Wayne's Teeth (song) Smoke Signals: Music From the Mirimax Motion Picture [Soundtrack]

Friday, June 27, 2014 – Trademark Cancelled 
Last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office cancelled the Washington DC football team’s trademark registration. The ruling does not limit the use of the team name, but if upheld may lead to financial losses for the team. Where do you stand on the cancellation of the trademark? Guests include: Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee) President of the Morning Star Institute and Amanda Blackhorse (Navajo) principal plaintiff in the lawsuit Blackhorse et al v. Pro Football Inc.

Break Song: O Siem (song) Susan Aglukark (artist) This Child (album)