While most people are praising Washington Redskins officials over their decision to change the team's name, one Native American lawmaker thinks people are going overboard as the change should have happened "a long time ago."
New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland, who co-chairs the House Native American Caucus, has been publicly outspoken about the team’s name and has pressured them to change it as recently as a few weeks ago.
“There’re Native American activists that have been working on this issue for decades, decades and decades and it shouldn't take a huge social movement and pressure from corporate sponsors to pressure this team manager or owner to do the right thing, but I’m glad it's finally happened.”
Rep. Haaland said other sports teams, like the MLB team the Atlanta Braves or the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, should change their names as well.
“It’s very simple to me. If these things hurt someone's feelings, you should just stop doing it. And yes, the tomahawk chop and all of those ridiculous antics that mimic and mock native culture, they hurt our children, they perpetuate racism, they perpetuate racist stereotypes, and they really all need to go.”
Along with Kansas Representative Sharice Davids, Haaland became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress in 2018.