Norton to Speak out for Washington Football Team Name Change at Conference Sponsored by the Oneida Indian Nation

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at a panel discussion on the growing movement to change the mascot name of the Washington Redskins, sponsored by the Oneida Indian Nation, on Monday, October 7, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., in the Fahrenheit Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown (3100 South Street NW). Speakers at the conference, in addition to Norton, will be Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative, Kevin Gover, Director of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian, Dr. Michael Friedman, noted clinical psychologist who has done extensive research on children and discrimination, Dr. David Borgstrom, President of the Cooperstown Central School District Board of Education, and two students from Cooperstown, NY who led the effort to change the school's mascot from "redskins" to "hawkeyes." The conference, which is open to the press and public, will take place during the same week and at the same site as the National Football League Fall Meeting.

"The movement to change the disparaging team name of our football team is gaining momentum," said Norton. "Not only has NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell publicly shifted his position, but, as we will see with the Oneida Indian Nation's conference, there are leaders from all professional and social sectors entering the fight to rid the team of its racist and inexcusable name. The team's attempts to trademark the team name have been turned back four times on grounds of disparagement by the Patent and Trademark Office, and a new ruling that could result in a name change is expected soon. Roger Goodell and Daniel Snyder know that the team is so loved by us all in this region that it is inconceivable that a name change to eliminate an ethnic slur would diminish that admiration."

In May, Norton and nine other members of Congress sent letters to Goodell, team owner Daniel Snyder, the 31 other NFL franchises, and Washington football team sponsor FedEx, urging a change in the team name. In March, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS) introduced a bill, which Norton and the others who signed the letter cosponsored, to cancel existing trademark registrations containing the term "redskin," and deny registration for new trademarks using the term.

Published: October 4, 2013