A bunch of Native Individuals has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Washington leaders, accusing the NFL of defaming and suppressing Native American historical past.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court docket for the District of North Dakota on behalf of the Native American Guardians Affiliation (NAGA), accuses Leaders and their proprietor, Josh Harris, of civil rights violations, civil conspiracy, and defamation in an alleged try and stifle Native American historical past.
NAGA made nationwide headlines this yr by launching a extremely profitable on-line petition that acquired greater than 150,000 signatures.
🚨BREAKING: Founder and President of the Native American Guardians Affiliation, Eunice Davidson, despatched a letter of request at present to the Washington “Leaders” property and important command formally asking the group to revitalize its relationship with the American Indian neighborhood and actually change… pic.twitter.com/cpau4hVq6H
– Native American Guardians Affiliation (@GuardiansNative) August 7, 2023
Now, a Native American group is focusing on a group that claimed it wished to alter its identify to keep away from offending Native Individuals and letting them know they have been insulted: not by the identify Redskins, however by altering the identify to Leaders.
Now they need to make the group pay for it.
NAGA is looking for $1.6 million in damages from the leaders. Moreover, the lawsuit focuses on the highly effective Soros-backed Nationwide Congress of American Indians (NCAI) for serving to to suppress Native American historical past and utilizing photos depicting Native Individuals.
The lawsuit highlights how the Washington Redskins have been the one NFL group to honor a “true Native American.”
“The identify ‘Redskins’ carries profound cultural, historic and emotional significance, honoring the braveness, resilience and warrior spirit related to Native American tradition,” the lawsuit states.
For his or her half, the leaders imagine NAGA’s claims are baseless.
A spokesman for the leaders stated: “We imagine the grievance is baseless, and we are going to handle the matter in courtroom.” Tell Fox Information.
Josh Harris, new proprietor of the Washington Commanders, delivers his remarks throughout a press convention introducing the group’s new possession at FedExField on July 21, 2023, in Landover, Maryland. (Tasos Katopoudis/Getty Pictures)
The declare that Native Individuals, and particularly their brand, honors “precise Native Individuals” is of no passing significance. NAGA hopes to show in courtroom that the group’s constructive portrayal of a traditionally important Native American chief exhibits that the group was selling Native American historical past and was not partaking in something hateful or offensive.
As Fox Information reported, “The franchise adopted the identify Redskins in 1933, and since 1972, the group’s brand has been a portrait of the late well-known Blackfoot Chief John Two Weapons White Calf.
“Amongst different contributions to Native American historical past, White Calf compelled the federal authorities to acknowledge and respect the claims of the Blackfoot tribe.
“The group’s authentic identify and brand have been impressed by Seventeenth-century Lenape chief Tammany, who was celebrated by colonial forces combating the American Revolution because the ‘patron saint of America.’”
NAGA accuses the Soros-backed NCAI of distorting this historical past and waging a public misinformation marketing campaign in opposition to the soccer group, which culminated in then-owner Daniel Snyder altering the group’s identify from Redskins to Soccer Workforce, and ultimately the leaders.
“NCAI is on a mission to eradicate Native American historical past. The extra factions bend in ignorance, the extra energy NCAI retains.
“The highly effective few can’t monopolize the narrative. They can not erase Native American historical past from the hearts and minds of Individuals.
The lawsuit does not simply accuse NCAI of erasing Native American historical past. It hyperlinks Malik Commander Josh Harris to a legacy of European-style oppression and the “erasure” of Native American historical past.
“Mr. Harris’s cash and energy rival the European nations which have claimed this land for tons of of years. Like the lads who conquered Native Individuals, Josh Harris is erasing their historical past.
“This swimsuit hits you to the NCAI and smacks you to the leaders and cancel tradition,” stated plaintiff’s lawyer Chad LaVeglia.
“You aren’t royalty. You should not have absolute energy and you’ll not trample on the little man.