The Meaning of 'Redskin' and Still Loving One's Hometown Team

(photo courtesy of Washington Redskins Official Store)

As the Washington Redskins enter the playoffs today against The Seattle SeaHawks for a Wild-Card Spot, the talk in D.C. is all abound about the team and what an incredible year they've had.

Who would have thought this season that they would even had made it this far?

From their overall year of wins vs. losses, to the sudden and tragic death of Free Safety #21 Sean Taylor, to the team being able to come back from the memorial service and funeral service in Florida, and go 4 victories straight, and defeating their #1 rival of all time, The Dallas Cowboys by 21 Points. (Beat Dallas by 21 points - Sean Taylor's # was 21! How about that?)

Words that come to me about this 2007 Redskins Team are heart, soul, endurance, perseverance and character.

Yet and still, so much has been made, and continues to be made by some over the name of Washington's Football Team, The Redskins. From some calling it racist, to some calling the logo of the proud and strong Native-American a stereotypical image that needs to be replaced. Many people want the team to change the name especially in these "politically correct" days in which we live.

I have felt divided over the issue for years because of my great love for the team, however I see both sides.

The impact of seeing The Redskins being led by Coach Joe Gibbs to four Super Bowls and winning three titles was amazing:Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17 on January 30, 1983, in Pasadena, California, Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California where The Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42-10, and Super Bowl XXVI on January 26, 1992, in Minneapolis, Minnesota where The Redskins, the most dominant team in the NFL in the 1991 season, defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24.

How cool was it as a kid growing up at the ages of 13, 18 and 22 and seeing your hometown team win the Superbowl three times? And did I mention the dancing in the streets and the official parades when they returned home? Off the hook!

Back to the meaning of the name, here is an excerpt from The Redskins Official 2007 Yearbook on the matter that I found interesting lately:

'Redskin' Through the Years

Red Cloud. Red Thunder. Red Eagle. Red lands. Red mud.

"The term redskin, applied by Europeans to Algonquians in general and the Delawares in particular," says the Reader's Digest in its book America's Fascinating Indian Heritage, "was inspired not by their natural complexion but by their fondness for vermilion makeup, concocted from fat mixed with berry juice and minerals that provided the desired color." The men "would streak their faces and bodies with bright red ocher and blood root," adds the Reader's Digest.

Indians painted their skin for decorative and ceremonial purposes. "Red is generally accepted as being one of the colors most easily available to and most used by Indians," as Ronald P. Koch states in his book Dress Clothing of the Plains Indians.

~Redskins Official 2007 Yearbook, Celebrating 75 Years Of Great Redskins History, page 152, 'Redskin' Through the Years