I used to be suspicious about the Redskins matter because I felt it took up valuable time and resources from basic needs/life discussions for our homelands. Moreover, I also resented that nobody talked to my communities before asserting that these symbols are offensive to all Native people—I know plenty of Natives who aren’t offended by the name. But we’re past that now. We have to be. Our people have spoken; now, it’s 100% about the movement of our people—it’s bigger than individuals. This is about us speaking for us—there are too many non-Natives trying to tell us what we should or should not be offended by. We MUST define ourselves. Symbols count and the ability define oneself transcends mere Native mascots and whether or not individual Natives subjectively are offended by the names. It’s much bigger than that. You like the name? Cool. But understand that a non-Native shouldn’t be able to say for you what offends you or doesn’t. People rally behind symbols. This inevitable name change victory has the ability to rally and unite Native people—urban and reservation—like very few other things in recent memory.

It is becoming a movement of the people. That’s beautiful. We need to make a concerted effort to bring that movement to the grassroots and not leave anybody out of this conversation.

Thus I become hopeful that the memory of this inevitable Redskins victory will help create some momentum to address those internal matters—suicide, disenrollments, alcoholism, etc. Maybe it will encourage some of those who fought so strongly for this victory to bring their talents home and turn their attention toward our homelands and try to direct resources to us here.