Native Americans Behind Push To Change Commanders Back To Redskins Upset That Team Rep Called Them 'Fake Group'

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The Native Americans behind a now-viral petition to have the Washington Commanders bring back their Redskins name are none too pleased that a team representative called them a "fake group."

The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) started an online petition titled 'Change The Washington Commanders Back To The Washington Redskins' on June 21 and have surpassed 128,000 signatures as of August 29.

"The name "Redskins" carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture. It was never intended as a derogatory or offensive term but as a symbol of respect and admiration. Changing the name abruptly disregards the positive legacy that the Redskins name has built over the years and disorients the passionate fans who have invested their emotions, time, and unwavering support in the team," the petitions states, in part.

Native American Group Wants Redskins To Return To Washington

A Native American group is leading a charge for the Washington Commanders to bring back the Redskins name. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After the petition made headlines earlier this summer, a premium-seat sales manager for the Commanders wrote "you understand the people that started this petition is a fake group, right?' in a text to a former luxury-seat holder.

"We’re not a fake group. We’re tribal-enrolled members from tribes across the United States," Eunice Davidson, co-founder and president of NAGA told Fox News Digital during an interview.

Davidson believes that the push to remove the Redskins from the NFL and Native American imagery from schools was led by "racist white woke" college professors.

"People want to call us fake and they’ve done that before," Davidson continued. "They never tell our story and that’s their goal. To wipe out Native history. It’s discrimination when you go after one culture like this."

Ninety percent of Native Americans around the country supported the Redskins name in the NFL in a Washington Post poll from 2016.

Washington rebranded and removed the Redskins name in 2020 and was simply known as the Washington Football Team before adopting the Commanders nickname in 2022.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.