McCollum Statement at Change the Mascot Press Conference with Native American Leaders

Press Conference

"CHANGE THE MASCOT PRESS CONFERENCE"

Over the past year and a half, our campaign to Change the Mascot of the Washington NFL franchise has grown into a movement. And for that I want to thank the Oneida Nation and NCAI for their tremendous leadership.

Native Americans and their leaders have been calling for the end of this racial slur as a team name for decades. Now a broad coalition of civil rights organizations, religious leaders, prominent journalists, and public officials are adding their voices.

On Sunday, November 2nd, the Washington football team will be in the Twin Cities to play the Vikings. Dan Snyder's racist mascot hits a very raw nerve in Minnesota.

My state is the home of eleven proud tribal nations, but our state also struggles with a tragic history. The federal government's 19th Century campaign to eradicate Native Americans, to commit genocide, was waged in Minnesota, as it was in other parts of our country.

This is an ad from Winona, Minnesota's Daily Republican, dated September 24, 1863.
It promotes the financial reward for the murder of Native American men, women, and children. Think about what it says:

"The state reward for dead Indians has been increased to $200 for every red-skin sent to Purgatory. This sum is more than the dead bodies of all the Indians east of the Red River are worth."

There is a direct historical connection between this vile hate speech used 150 years ago to promote the killing of Native Americans for profit and the 21st Century dehumanizing racial slur which the NFL profits from today.

Three months ago, I wrote to Zygi Wilf, the owner of the Minnesota Vikings, urging him to speak out in favor of changing the mascot. My letter to Mr. Wilf has been met with silence.

Silence, denial, and the refusal to confront harmful behavior seems to be a pattern for the National Football League and its team owners.

For years, the NFL denied that playing football was the cause of debilitating brain injuries among scores of former players. For far too long, violence against women committed by NFL players was dismissed or minimized by the League.

This same denial is seen when the NFL and team owners continue to support the use of a racial slur that is degrading and dehumanizing to Native Americans.

It is clear from their actions and disturbing pattern of denial that the NFL values profits over people. NFL profits are more important than the health and well-being of former NFL players. NFL profits are more important than the wives, girlfriends, and partners of NFL players who have been beaten and abused. And, profit sharing by NFL team owners from a vile racial slur that demeans, dehumanizes, and degrades millions of our fellow citizens is more important than standing with Native Americans who are demanding the respect and dignity they deserve.

The American people know that actions which bully, harm, or dehumanize others are not acceptable. The American people know that hate speech is wrong. And the NFL can no longer deny that hate speech is what Dan Snyder's mascot represents.

In a nation that continues to struggle against racism and discrimination, it can only be money that motivates the NFL to defend a slur that harkens back to the darkest of days when a white man could get paid for hunting and murdering an Indian in cold blood. This team name is a reminder of that brutal violence.

But there is a solution -- Change the Name!

The NFL's culture of silence must be confronted. It is time for 31 NFL team owners to speak out and change the name. It is time for 31 NFL team owners to reject the use of this derogatory and hateful slur and change the name.

The time for action is now because this movement is not going away, it is only getting bigger and more vocal.

The mascot will change because our coalition is growing and Native leaders and elders and families all across 566 Indian nations and these United States are demanding that the NFL Change the Mascot.

Here in Congress, we are working with leaders throughout Indian Country on many important issues. And standing with Native people as they fight for the respect they deserve is among the absolute most important issue.

I'm proud to lend my voice to support the call of Minnesota's tribal nations, the National Congress of American Indians, and countless others to Change the Mascot.

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