A Code Talker from the Navajo Nation defended his controversial appearance at a Washington football game on Monday.

Roy Hawthorne, 87, said the team paid for the Code Talkers and some of their family members to attend the game in suburban Washington, D.C. He said the group met with owner Dan Snyder but they didn't discuss the controversial mascot.

“My opinion is that’s a name that not only the team should keep, but that’s a name that’s American," Hawthorne told the Associated Press.

The Code Talkers appeared on the sidelines during the game, wearing the team's gear.

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Code Talker says Redskins name not derogatory (AP 11/27)

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