WASHINGTON – He took the floor at the House of Representatives for three minutes Wednesday asking the Washington Redskins again reconsider a name change.
Rep. Eni Faleomavaega, American Samoa’s at-large delegate, is making another push for the team to change its name — calling it unacceptable.
“The continued use of the word redskin is unacceptable. It is a racist, derogatory term and patently offensive to Native Americans,” Faleomavaega says.
He says it is easy to understand why the term is so offensive.
“The origin of the term redskin is commonly attributed to the historical practice of trading — trading, Mr. Speaker — Native American Indian scalps and body parts as bounties and trophies,” Faleomavaega says.
He was one of 10 members of Congress who wrote a letter to Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, in May urging him to change the franchise name.
Snyder has said the name will not change.
Among the group sending the letters are the leaders of the Congressional Native American Caucus: Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
In response to their letter, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the Redskins name to the bipartisan group of representatives.
WTOP’s Darci Marchese contributed to this report.
