On Friday, President Obama commented on a question about whether the Washington Redskins’ name should be changed.
According to CBS News, during an interview President Obama weighed in on the controversial topic of due to offending Native Americans, should the Washington football team change its name?
“If I were the owner of the team and I knew that there was a name of my team – even if it had a storied history – that was offending a sizeable group of people, I’d think about changing it.”
On Monday, the Oneida Indian Nation is planning a symposium in Washington during the same place NFL owners are scheduled to meet that day.
Still, Obama notes that the team and its fans are not purposely trying to offend anyone, as he understands it is the team’s history and tradition. The team’s owner, Dan Syder, has come out to say he has no plan in changing the name, the Washington Post reports. A poll was given last June that concluded 61% Washingtonians did not mind the name.
The Washington Redskins are not the only sports team to derive from Native Americans, including the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
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