Since the Redskins controversy is again in the news, I thought I’d report some data on the subject from three years ago. I realize that different people have different views of how relevant or dispositive such data is, but I just thought I’d note it.
1. A 2002 Sports Illustrated survey reports:
Asked if they were offended by the name Redskins, 75% of Native American respondents in SI’s poll said they were not, and even on reservations, where Native American culture and influence are perhaps felt most intensely, 62% said they weren’t offended. Overall, 69% of Native American respondents — and 57% of those living on reservations — feel it’s O.K. for the Washington Redskins to continue using the name. “I like the name Redskins,” says Mark Timentwa, 50, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State who lives on the tribes’ reservation. “A few elders find it offensive, but my mother loves the Redskins.”
2. The Annenberg Public Policy Center National Annenberg Election Survey 2004 (conducted in 2003-04), reports:
Most American Indians say that calling Washington