Contrary to widespread concerns about the offensiveness of the Washington Redskins name, a new poll out Thursday finds that 9 out of 10 Native Americans say the NFL team's moniker "does not bother them" at all. While the general public sees the word "Redskin" as a slur, after reaching out to 504 Native Americans in every state over a five-month period, the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the word wasn't all that offensive to many Native Americans. More than 7 in 10 Native Americans said they didn't feel the word was disrespectful to them, and 8 in 10 said they would not be offended if a non-native used that word to address them.
The poll's results will likely make the push to change the team's name that much harder, The Washington Post contends, and could even impact the fight over the team's federal trademark registrations and the location of its next stadium. Since the battle over the team's name reignited in 2013, President Obama, 50 Democratic U.S. senators, dozens of sports broadcasters and columnists, and a civil rights organization have all called for the name to be changed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.