Washington’s football team has been stuck in an identity crisis since it bent the knee and ‘erased’ the Washington Redskins.

Calling the logo and NFL team name offensive to Native Americans, the Washington franchise willingly stepped out of its famed image to pursue a newer, more P.C. approach, which has gone terribly since dropping the “Redskins” in 2020. 

For 87 years, the franchise held an iconic image.

One Native American group, NAGA (Native American Guardians Association), is actively working to reinstate the Washington Redskins. With leadership recently transitioning from Dan Snyder to new majority owner Josh Harris, fans hoped for a return to the Washington Redskins as part of the new era.

NAGA delivered a statement to TMZ Sports after recent comments from Harris expressed that there would be no return to the former name. 

READ: Native Americans Behind Push To Change Commanders Back To Redskins Upset That Team Rep Called Them ‘Fake Group’

“Had the NFL done any type of focus group with Natives, they would know that their team name is considered indefensible as it was a series of Commanders – many from D.C. – who decimated the once-formidable native nations of this continent,” NAGA told TMZ.

Before turning into the Washington Commanders, Washington’s team was egregiously referred to as the “Washington Football Team” from 2020 to 2022.

NAGA’s mission has also been to clear the stigma of the name, sharing that Native American groups don’t actually find it offensive. 

The Washington Post published a poll in 2016 that found 90 percent of Native Americans were not offended by the Washington Redskins’ name.

(Original Caption) Washington Redskin coach Vince Lombardi is shown in head and shoulders shots during the football seasons first day’s training.

NAGA also bashed people fighting to eliminate the Redskins as crying wokesters, saying Native Americans have been “ignored by today’s woke/racist decision makers at the D.C.-based franchise which continues to insist on utilizing THE most DEGRADING and INSENSITIVE namesake in any sports league – the Commanders.”

NAGA, along with many NFL fans, argue that restoring the Redskins’ name and logo helps to preserve the historical connection between the franchise and Native American culture.

“As the original Americans, we deserve better than be labeled D.C. Commanders – it’s insulting. We deserve honest representation and the telling of the truth. Educate, not Eradicate.”

RELATED: NFL And Congress Discussing Return Of The Washington Redskins Logo

For several leagues, 2020’s heightened social justice pressure led to several big decisions made out of posturing, including the NFL’s decision to add “Stop Racism” to their fields, which also fell flat in its messaging.

In related cases, the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Braves have been pressed to do away with their ‘Tomahawk Chop’ celebration for its ‘insensitive’ ties to Native Americans. In 2022, the Cleveland Indians took a similar path to Washington, changing into the Cleveland Guardians.

As OutKick founder Clay Travis has stated, most “fans” complaining about things like the Redskins’ name are not actually sports fans but people with political agendas. 

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