Petition demands the Washington Commanders restore the 'proud' symbolism to the franchise
Native American group wants NFL 'Redskins' team name back
Native American Guardians Association's Billy Dieckman argues ‘Redskins’ is not offensive amid a push to bring back the team name.
A Native American group demanding the Washington Commanders bring back its "Redskins" name says they have received a "tidal wave" of support in their fight against the NFL team.
The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) petition to "put an end to cancel culture and #ReclaimTheName ‘Redskins’" is nearing 100,000 signatures as the NFL season approaches.
"The deep, rich history behind the name, the myth that it means bloody scalps or something derogatory is what we're trying to dispel," NAGA adviser and Kiowa Tribe member Billy Dieckman told "Fox & Friends First" Tuesday. "It's a status symbol for elite warriors."
A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the grass during a preseason football game between the Redskins and Cleveland Browns at FedExField on August 18, 2014 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins logo was originally inspired by King Tammany, a Lenni Lenape chief known to the men who fought the American Revolution as "the Patron Saint of America." (Photo by TJ Root/Getty Images)
Last week, the group sent a letter to Commanders leadership "formally requesting the team revitalize its relationship with the American Indian community and rightfully change their name back to ‘the Redskins.'"
Former team owner Daniel Snyder changed the team’s name from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team and later the Commanders amid a summer of racial unrest in the U.S. in 2020. Snyder said the name had "increasingly become a distraction from our primary focus of football" and the change was "in the spirit of inclusivity."
"Our fight is to reinstate this, because it was taken away without consulting us, without any of our approval," Dieckman responded.
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"The imagery that you see is that of Chief Two Guns White Calf," he continued. "That's a real person, there's a lot of times they say you need to get rid of your mascot. We don't have a mascot. That's a real person that was gifted to the Redskins in the NFL by the Blackfoot tribe as a forever gift. That's one of the greatest warriors of all time."
Dieckman touted the "overwhelming" support surrounding the petition and recent polling of the symbolism in the community.
Josh Harris, a new owner of the Washington Commanders, delivers remarks during a press conference introducing the team's new ownership at FedExField on July 21, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
"90% of natives are in approval and see it as a proud symbol. The ones who know who Chief Two Guns White Calf is, it's even higher in those areas."
The Commanders team name debuted in 2022.
The team didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
"Our voice has not been heard, and that's what NAGA is designed for, to fight that and to correct some of what's been eradicated," Dieckman concluded.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
