|
It's either imperialistic or a complete failure of language to call someone by a derogatory slur and then say, in response to their offense and in all seriousness, "I'm honoring our shared cultural history."
I'd accept the point if the owners of the team were being ironic, or even a little introspective -- if the whole thing was being done to call attention to the rapacious conquest of North America by European colonists. But it's not. It is a continuation of that same conquest, concurrent with denying it ever happened.
Native Americans are entirely justified in saying 'I know better than you how to commemorate my part of our shared history together.' That's the point.
|