AP can't locate opponents of racist mascots in Indian Country

The Associated Press says it's "difficult" to tell how many American Indians and Alaska Natives oppose the Washington professional football team's racist mascot.

There haven't been any credible nationwide polls on the matter. But nearly every Indian organization -- including the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund and the National Indian Education Association -- has gone on the record in opposition to the team's name.

Individual tribes are also against the name. Notably, the Oneida Nation of New York and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin have been outspoken in recent months about the name, and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the largest tribe in the U.S. in terms of membership, is also opposed.

Other Indian organizations also oppose the use of Indians as mascots. The Wisconsin Indian Education Association, the Oregon Indian Education Association and the American Indian Movement are some.

Additionally, the plaintiffs in two trademark challenges to the name have represented a broad cross-section of Indian Country. They include activists, artists, educators, attorneys and students who are citizens of tribes from different parts of the U.S.

Get the Story:
As debate over ‘Redskins’ name intensifies, hard to tell how many Indians think it’s a slur (AP 10/8)

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