Natives of all ages and all walks of life came together to protest the Washington Redskins team name on Sunday in Minneapolis

Photo courtesy Change the Mascot

On November 2, a crowd estimated to be as large as 5,000 strong gathered in front of TCF stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to protest the continued use of the name Redskins, a racial slur, by Washington's NFL team. 

"It’s a good day to be indigenous," said Amanda Blackhorse, Navajo, who filed the lawsuit that led to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's revocation of five of the team's trademarks. "I’m so glad to be here with you today. Minnesota Natives don’t mess around."

“It’s important to remember the history of this word," said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter, who has spearheaded the Change the Mascot campaign, in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians. ""This is a word screamed at our ancestors as they were dragged at gunpoint off their lands."

Native activists were joined on stage by boldface name from Minnesota politics. Former Governor Jesse Ventura said that “You don’t make a name out of genocide,” and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said that the name is "more than an insult—it’s hate." Representative Betty McCollum said team owner Dan Snyder is "on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of human rights."

Clyde Bellecourt, 78, a co-founder of the American Indian Movement, was an honored presence at the event, as were longtime activists Winona LaDuke and Charlene Teters.