[TomSlick]

While in Utah for a week hiking our superb national parks...Zion and Bryce...we had the pleasure of attending a meeting led by a member of the Paiute tribe. This gentleman (Xavier) is 1/4 Paiute and 3/4 Navajo. His wife is 100% Navajo. He led off the meeting, more like a discussion, by saying, "Ask me anything, no question is too sensitive".

Living in the Bay Area, with its all too quick reaction to calling you a racist for asking anything that does not jive with the liberal line, this honest approach to discussing different ideas was refreshing as hell.

Wonderful questions were asked by the 8 attendees.

My first question was regarding the Florida State Seminoles and Atlanta Braves. Xavier said that Florida State has been granted permission by the Seminole tribe to use their name. As for the Braves moniker, he has no problem with that usage by the baseball team.

Before I could follow up with the "dreaded" Redskins name, Xavier brought the subject up himself. He does not care for it, but when I pointed out that some high schools on some reservations use the Redskins as their mascot, he said that many American Indians do like the name Redskins and wanted Washington to keep the mascot. He did mention the poll that was taken long ago showing majority of the tribes did like tribal names used by sports teams. However, he thought the poll was somewhat flawed as many elder tribal members do not trust, thus don't answer questions, from people outside the tribe. I asked if he would be interested in a new poll where everyone would, including the elders, participate and he was enthusiastic about that possibility.

My last question was how did the tribes get along some 200 to 300 years ago. He said that some tribes were on a friendly basis, but others were constantly at war...fighting over territory, water, hunting grounds, etc. He said the battles were brutal, the young were taken and raised as their own, the older ones were enslaved then killed. So much for only white Europeans being evil.

Too this day, the Crow and Sioux still don't get along. All these tribes have volunteer firefighting units. At times they have to intermingle, the Sioux like to mock the Crow by making crow sounds...well, at least, they are not killing each other.

All in all it was a fun 75 minutes. Answers were given by a Native American (Native Indian and Indian are also acceptable descriptors) rather than some goody-two shoes person who is as much Native American as the leprechaun on the Lucky Charms cereal box. To be accepted into a tribe you must be able to document that you are, at least, 1/4 American Indian. Sorry, Senator Elizabeth Warren, but your 1/32 claim to being an Indian because you have high cheek bones does not give entrance into the tribal nation.

[Hacksaw]

I'm about 45% Shawnee. Sticks and stones comes to mind. Snyder is far more offensive!

[Joe Pendleton]

thank you for sharing @TomSlick my beautiful Aunt Mary had "a lot" of Blackfoot Tribe in her.. she was probably the most beautiful person (both on the inside, and out), i have ever met.. i live in Santa Barbara which is home to the Chumash.. my Aunt said Indian Nation Lore had it, that the Chumash were the "Guardians of the Western Gate" which if i have it right, is their passageway to "the Great Spirit"..
(i sure hope i didn't screw that up lol @Hacksaw ).. anyways, apparently the Indian Nation held the Chumash in high regard for their role on the West Coast of North America

[AvengerRam]

thank you for sharing @TomSlick my beautiful Aunt Mary had "a lot" of Blackfoot Tribe in her.. she was probably the most beautiful person (both on the inside, and out), i have ever met.. i live in Santa Barbara which is home to the Chumash.. my Aunt said Indian Nation Lore had it, that the Chumash were the "Guardians of the Western Gate" which if i have it right, is their passageway to "the Great Spirit"..
(i sure hope i didn't screw that up lol).. anyways, apparently the Indian Nation held the Chumash in high regard for their role on the West Coast of North America

Fun fact: a bound copy of the Torah (aka Hebrew Old Testament) is called a Chumash.

As for the use of Native American names as sports mascots, I'm not surprised by the opinions you received. Certainly, I'd expect a bigger problem with "Redskins" than other names.

[St. Loser Fan]

[Hacksaw]

As someone pointed out, I kind of doubt they'll vote him out. One might imagine other owners have issues they'd rather not get aired. The Commanders org is a bit of a stain on the shield tho.

[St. Loser Fan]

Almost 1/3 of the way to Richmond VA.

[St. Loser Fan]

[RedAlice]

so, do you wanna have lunch or something when I am in STL? (tbh, I'd prefer happy hour at the hockey team bar).

I am there now kinda frequent.

We argue a LOT. May as well put up a drink to the arguing, yes?

You can tell me everything you hate about the Rams and Kroenke, in person.

[Hacksaw]

Go for it @St. Loser Fan. She's really nice.