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What we don’t talk about when we talk about words:

Pontiac: A North American Indian, chief of the Ottawa tribe during the eighteenth century. Pontiac commanded this tribe during the Pontiac War of 1763. In 1818, the state of Michigan named a city after Pontiac as he was said to have been buried near this southeastern region. In 1926, the automobile brand ‘Pontiac’ was created.

Alas, in 1984, Louise Erdrich wrote “Dear John Wayne”. As Geoff mentioned in an earlier posting, Erdrich’s poem, like much of Thomas King’s work, is an intimate comment on the destructiveness of colonization and how this has come to shape internal and external images of native American identity. Erdrich writes of August and lounging “on the hood of the Pontiac”(2) at the drive-in picture.

I gather that one of the things we are talking about when we talk about Native Americans and Sport Mascots, like the Washington Redskins, is the commodification of a marginalized culture (a culture that we, collectively, have never taken the time to properly understand). Better yet, we are discussing the kind of materialization that is associated with cultural identities. Overall, I think Louise Erdrich is suggesting something similar in her reference to a Pontiac vehicle. Pontiac was a human being! I can only assume that he belonged to a culture whereby honouring a chief was seldom associated with the rebranding of individuals into engineered technology.

It is important to bring attention to the subtleties of Erdrich’s poetry, or the ambiguity of branded costumes; it is here that we can visualize the nation’s historical truths into tangible ‘stuff’. Arguably, I think we belong to a society that has come to rely on this material process.

This has always been a debate that blows my mind. It is blatant racism and for some reason most people have no moral dilemma with it. This kind of name or representation would NEVER be accepted for any other ethnic/cultural group, but for some reason, Native American's are seen as some cruel exception to the rule. Natives have been treated like garbage throughout out most of Western history and this is just an extension of this same horrendous treatment.

I have had conversations with some pretty level-headed people; people I consider to be my close friends and family and have never heard an ignorant comment from them except when it comes to this topic. The whole argument that the name is built into the brand and is part of the team seems to be what they fall back on. That point, in my opinion, is total b*llshit (excuse my language, but it is the only way I can think to describe it). If a sports team's name included the N word or any other derogatory term towards a race, even if the team was created back when these terms were acceptable (which most of them were), I would bet a lot of money that it would have been changed a long time ago. Racism is usually not tolerated, as seen recently with the Clipper's owners extremely offensive remarks and his following banning from the NBA. Why aren't Native Americans treated with the same dignity? To me it is kind of like saying, "We don't allow black people to be put down, or any other minority, but when it comes to Native Americans, it is all in good fun so it doesn't really matter. You don't really matter". This is extremely problematic and I am so frustrated that people do not see it this way.

The whole idea that Native Americans aren't really that offend to me seems a bit sketchy. If it is not that big of a deal, then why has there been a constant movement against the name? Maybe some people aren't offended by it, but some certainly are, so shouldn't their opinions count as well?

I come from a town that has three pretty big reserves in the surrounding area and I would NEVER refer to my Native friends as "redskins", so it makes me pretty uncomfortable to see that term glamorized and plastered all over a football field or a sports network. The term was, at one time, used to degrade Native Americans and though people may not use it in that way now, that does not change the terrible history behind the word. A team called the "Washington Redskins" is just acceptable racism in my opinion and it is pretty disgusting.

If a person doesn't identify with a term, then you don't refer to them using that term. End of discussion.

It seems people believe Native Americans don't find the Redskins name offensive. Let's debunk that myth right now! Here's a link: New Study Finds 67% Of Native Americans Find Redskins Name Offensive

Here's some background on that Navajo president he invited to the game that Tyler mentioned:

Shelly entered office under a dark cloud, being charged with fraud, conspiracy and theft in connection with allegations that he had dipped into slush funds to benefit himself and family members. The charges against Shelly were dropped in exchange for him agreeing to pay back $8,250 he was accused of stealing from the tribal government.
Shelly's public support of Snyder has clashed with his own tribal council, which voted 9-2 in April to formally oppose the nickname "Redskins."
Shelly was accused of going behind the back of tribal leaders when he partnered with Dan Snyder's Original Americans Foundation (OAF) to host a golf tournament. When sponsors the National Indian Gaming Association and the Notah Begay III Foundation learned of the involvement of Snyder's foundation, they withdrew their support.

Fun times! Redskins owner Dan Snyder also trots out fake Native Americans to defend his racist team all the time. See here and here.

It's a hell of a lot easier to have a not-racist team name, or even a not-maybe-racist team name, than it is to dig in your heals and defend a probably-racist team name. "It's been a racist team name for a hundred years!" or however many years is not a worthwhile or convincing defense.

Admittedly, although the use of Native Americans as logos & mascots can be found in American sports teams -- for example, the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL -- it is not only Americans who commit these wrongs, & not only major league sports teams either. Coming from a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada, I have been exposed to many ignorant & prejudiced actions & comments about First Nations people. Small towns are very often less cultured & therefore do not see the harm in racializing & exploiting a certain ethnicity. My high school's team name for sports was the Parrsboro Warriors -- Sounds typical enough, right? Our mascot, however, was very similar to that of the Blackhawks -- A Native man's head. Five years ago, when I was in grade 11, the school was asked by our schoolboard to change the mascot as it was derogatory towards First Nations people. We ended up changing it to a Greek Spartan. I guess my point, however, is that this type of racial abuse is not only common in the United States, but in other countries as well. It just seems more prominent in America due to the large population & higher level of media coverage.

Change is coming! (On the Washington football team's nickname front.)

It actually took professionally stepping outside the Washington bubble for the first time in a decade to fully grasp we've now come to a place we haven't been before.

In late June, the Washington Post ran a 16-question quiz, asking readers whether they could differentiate between statements made defending the Confederate flag and the name of Washington's NFL team. The exercise showed how the two were essentially interchangeable.

In early July, a federal judge upheld the stripping of the team's federal trademark protection on the basis of the moniker being offensive to Native Americans.

California, the most populous state in the nation and home to three NFL franchises, passed legislation this month ensuring no public school will ever call itself what Washington's NFL team calls itself.

In Madison, Wisconsin, historically a liberal town but practically middle America, kids can't even wear clothing to school with Native-themed teams on it. Imagine being the parent of an Indians or Braves fan and your child comes home to give you the lecture about a living people not being mascots. [...]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13724289/washington-redskins-name-change-inevitable

And re: Halloween costumes (let this be the year they're finally shamed out of existence)...

I am very offended by the racist logos and such that the national or otherwise sports teams have been using for many years. As a child I knew it was racist and didn't like it. Several times over the years there have been people/organizations that have expressed their intense dislike for it and hoped to change that. Thus far there have not been any significant changes. Imagine the head honcho refusing to change the Washington team name, well the team is after all in the state capitol, is it not? I believe he is an almighty racist himself, hence his refusal to concede. An earlier post commented that if it's okay for the Anishinaabe then it must be okay. I must inform such person, some of the Anishinaabek are not as educated about extreme racism or all of its content to fully understand it. Yes there is talk, sometimes that is not enough, if one does not know the history how could they comprehend the underlying tones. That being said, money does talk for some, and for others, well faith and a good sense of one's own religious values does prevail. Doing the right thing has always been a good virtue has it not?

I believe that the reason that sports teams continue to use offensive team nicknames and imagery, like the Redskins and the Indians, is a combination of an obstinate belief in a supposed history and the fact that the image and name are licensed resulting in millions of dollars in merchandising sales and other related revenue. It should come as no surprise that in the US money is driving the motivations of these organizations. After all, with television revenue and the expansion of broadcasting rights, the name and image can be seen by a greater audience and, therefore, generate more money. Owners will cite their considerable investment in the organization and a right to make a profit and that argument is sound. From a business perspective, any investor should have the opportunity to receive a financial return. However, corporate responsibility has taken a back seat to the need for profit, money becoming the only factor in decision making. This is not a new phenomenon. To end, the idea that a long and venerated history is enough of a reason to keep an offensive logo and name is only supported by those whose status and place in society has come at the expense of the victimized and marginalized groups they lampoon and disgrace in their image and name.

from Telesur

Native American NFL Hoax: 'Redskins Renamed Redhawks'
The campaign created a Twitter account and five web pages, including news stories, in an elaborate online hoax mocking the team's allegedly racist name.
Tired of the racist name and mascot of the National Football League's Washington Redskins, Native American advocates produced an elaborate hoax reporting that the Redskins had changed their name to the Redhawks.

The online campaign, led by a group called Rising Hearts, created a Twitter account and five web pages made to resemble the real pages of The Washington Post, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report, as well as a website for the fictional team that bore the burgundy and gold of the Redskins with the new Redhawks logo.

The "fake news" included quotes from Redskins coach Coach Jay Gruden and team owner Daniel Snyder, as well as a number of fans, activists, politicians and others commenting on the fictitious name change. [...]

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Native-American-NFL-Hoax-Redskins-Renamed-Redhawks-20171214-0032.html