[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)] [House] [Pages H4841-H4842] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] {time} 1215 DENOUNCING THE NAME OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE'S WASHINGTON FOOTBALL FRANCHISE The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for 5 minutes. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, last year, nine Members of this House and I sent a letter to the National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, to the Washington, D.C., franchise owner, Dan Snyder, and to the owners of the other 31 National Football League franchises urging an end to the use of the term ``redskins'' as an NFL franchise name because it is derogatory, it is demeaning, and patently offensive to Native American Indians. While Mr. Snyder did not respond, Mr. Goodell did so in a dismissive manner, calling this racial slur ``a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride, and respect.'' Mr. Speaker, give me a break. Last week, 50 Senators joined our effort and also sent a letter to the NFL. Mr. Goodell did not respond, but Bruce Allen of the Washington franchise did respond in a dismissive manner, stating that ``redskins'' is not a derogatory word and claiming that it actually honors Native Americans. Mr. Speaker, shame on Mr. Allen, shame on Mr. Goodell, and shame on Mr. Snyder for suggesting that ``redskins'' is a name of honor when, according to Native Americans, it is ``the worst thing in the English language you can be called if you are a Native person.'' Mr. Snyder, Mr. Goodell, and Mr. Allen have escaped the public lashing that Don Sterling received just weeks ago for his racist remarks on African Americans who play basketball. I believe if the American public knew the history of this derogatory term, they would call on Dan Snyder to change the name or get out of the League. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my colleagues the painful and violent past associated with this despicable term. For many of our Native Americans, the word ``redskins'' is reminiscent of a time when the colonial government engaged in the practice of trading Indian scalps or skins and body parts for bounties. In 1749, the British bounty was ``10 guineas for every Indian taken or killed.'' In 1755, the lieutenant governor of the Massachusetts Bay Province issued a proclamation calling for the extermination of the Penobscot Indian Nation. The bounty for a male Indian above the age of 12 was 50 pounds, [[Page H4842]] and his scalp was worth 40 pounds. The bounty for a female Indian of any age and for males under the age of 12 was 25 pounds, while their scalps were worth 20 pounds. In 1863, the reward in Minnesota was $200 ``for every redskin sent to purgatory.'' Mr. Speaker, I submit that today, Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation declared that the word ``redskins'' is ``not just a racial slur or a derogatory term,'' but a painful ``reminder of one of the most gruesome acts of ethnic cleansing ever committed against'' his people. The hunting and killing of Native American Indians, as stated by Chief Francis, was ``a most despicable and disgraceful act of genocide.'' This photo depicts what genocide looks like, Mr. Speaker, and I want to share this photo with my colleagues. So, while scalping is a matter of historical debate, Mr. Snyder's response to this disgraceful act is indicative of the racist history behind the Washington franchise's name. Its founder, George Preston Marshall, is identified by historians as the driving force behind the color barrier that existed for 12 years in the National Football League, a sad commentary or chapter from 1934 to 1945, when African Americans were banned from the National Football League by a so-called ``gentleman's agreement.'' For years, Mr. Marshall marketed the Washington, D.C., franchise to appeal to the segregated South. The band played ``Dixie,'' the Confederate flag flew, and after the NFL's color line was crossed in 1946, the Washington, D.C., franchise was the last team to field an African American player--and not until 1962. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that the Washington team did not welcome African American players with open arms. Oh, no. Then-Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and Attorney General Robert Kennedy presented the Washington franchise with an ultimatum: unless Marshall signed an African American player, the government would revoke his franchise's 30-year lease on the use of the D.C. stadium. Mr. Speaker, we cannot simply continue these hateful traditions that mock, belittle, disparage, and disgrace those of a different race because of the color of their skin. The National Basketball Association recently reacted swiftly to Mr. Don Sterling's racist remarks. Why is the National Football League so hesitant? Why is Mr. Snyder so slow to do the right thing when some 6 million of his own people's skins were used for lampshades by the Nazi Germans during World War II? Shame on Mr. Snyder for perpetuating this racism and bigotry. He should know better and do better. ____________________