"Native Americans were exploited almost from the moment Europeans arrived on this continent, pushed and shoved off their land for centuries until they were confined to the reservations that are now common across the south and midwestern parts of the United States.

When sports teams and, more importantly, sports team's nicknames and mascots, came into being in the middle and late 1800s, Native American tribal names and symbols were commonly used to represent them.

Over the years, this pattern has given us the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves and Washington Redskins (to name a few).

It might be that last one that generates the most controversy.

"Redskins" is, outside of sports, a racial moniker reserved for those of Native American descent. While the term has thankfully fallen out of common use, the connotation remains.

But is it meant to be offensive?"

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Nick DeWitt: : Native American Mascots: Honorable or Ignorant? (The Bleacher Report 10/6)