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Deb Haaland (Interviewed for “Imagining the Indian”) Becomes First Native American Cabinet Secretary
We congratulate Rep. Deb Haaland who was just confirmed by a Senate vote of 51-40 to lead the Interior Department and present a clip of our talk with the Congresswoman.
“Native American mascots are detrimental. I mean there’s no other way to say it. They misappropriate native culture.”

Chief of Cherokee Nation Says ‘It’s Time’ for Jeep to Stop Using Name
Jeep has been using Cherokee as a model name since the mid-1970s, but its next generation of vehicles arrives during a heightened national discussion of racial and social justice issues.

Aunt Jemima Has a New Name After 131 Years: The Pearl Milling Company
The change has been in the works since last June after the killing of George Floyd catalyzed widespread protests over racial injustice and a nationwide reckoning over symbols of the Old South and their meaning. Several large food companies came under fire for using racial stereotypes

The Chiefs enter the field to the sound of the tomahawk chop.
The Chiefs have banned fans from wearing Native American headdresses at Arrowhead Stadium, but fans continue to swing their arms in a tomahawk chop. They did it again as the team ran onto the field Sunday.
What Winning Should Really Look Like for the Washington Football Team
While the Washington Football Team’s NFC East championship and team owner Dan Snyder’s decision to rename the franchise (though only after succumbing to political and investor pressure) are major victories in the fight for dismantling harmful stereotypes, the organization’s underlying sexist culture must still be addressed.
Aviva Kempner and Jessie Atkin discuss the underlying sexist culture in the Washington Football organization and the intersection of sexism and racism across our popular culture.
Dan Snyder promised transparency about his team’s work culture. Why are there still so many secrets?
“A FULL, unbiased investigation.” That is what Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder promised in July after The Post detailed the sexual harassment and verbal abuse that more than a dozen women said they experienced while working for the team. He hired a lawyer with a stellar reputation and said she would have free rein. That same lawyer is now being sued by team lawyers to prevent her from disclosing a confidential settlement that appears to involve troubling allegations about Mr. Snyder’s own behavior. So much for getting to the bottom of things. Let’s hope that the National Football League, which took control of the inquiry, will follow through and deliver on the promise of a full and fair investigation. Equally important is the question of what will it do if it finds wrongdoing.

Before sports get credit for doing the right thing, remember how long it took to get there
Kevin Blackistone, producer of “Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting” reflects on The Washington Football Team, The Cleveland Baseball Team, Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues, and the real timeline behind these changes.

It’s 2020. Indigenous Team Names in Sports Have to Go.
The Chiefs, Braves, Blackhawks and Seminoles need to follow the Cleveland baseball team in dropping their offensive names.

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name
After years of protests from fans and Native American groups, the Cleveland Indians have decided to change their team name, moving away from a moniker that has long been criticized as racist, three people familiar with the decision said Sunday.

Imagining the Indian won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short!

Washington Football Team ends relationship with Daniel Snyder’s charitable foundation for Native Americans
“As a part of our evolution into a franchise of the future, the Washington Football Team’s new leadership is reviewing our philanthropic strategy,” the team said in its statement. “As part of this review, the Washington Football Team will focus its philanthropic and charitable work through its own foundation, and will no longer make contributions to the Original Americans Foundation.”
Press Coverage
Witness the films traction, as several news outlets, subject matter experts and concerned citizens voice their support.
What Winning Should Really Look Like for the Washington Football Team
While the Washington Football Team’s NFC East championship and team owner Dan Snyder’s decision to rename the franchise (though only after succumbing to political and investor pressure) are major victories in the fight for dismantling harmful stereotypes, the organization’s underlying sexist culture must still be addressed.
Aviva Kempner and Jessie Atkin discuss the underlying sexist culture in the Washington Football organization and the intersection of sexism and racism across our popular culture.

Before sports get credit for doing the right thing, remember how long it took to get there
Kevin Blackistone, producer of “Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting” reflects on The Washington Football Team, The Cleveland Baseball Team, Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues, and the real timeline behind these changes.

Imagining the Indian won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short!

Racism in Native American Names & Mascots
Studio Sacramento, of PBS KVIE, interviewed a panel, including our own Ben West (co-Director of Imagining the Indian) and Kevin Blackstone (Producer of Imagining the Indian) about the history and prevalence of Native American names and mascots in sports today. You can watch the full segment here.
Colorlines – WATCH: ‘Imagining the Indian’ Tells the History of the Movement Against Mascots
COLORLINES – WATCH: ‘Imagining the Indian’ Tells the History of the Movement Against Mascots
The battle to remove Native American names and imagery from mascots and logos has been a longstanding fight and the Ciesla Foundation is producing a new documentary film titled, “Imagining the Indian” that captures the activism around that movement while also educating viewers on its history.
ESPN – The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap
Kevin Blackistone, the co-producer of an upcoming film about the Washington Redskins and the push to change their name, explains why he has long been an opponent of the Redskins name.
Washington Should Avoid ‘Warriors’ or ‘Red Tails’ for New Team Name, ‘Imagining the Indian’ Directors Say
“I hope that it’s done responsibly. I think some of the names being kicked around right now are problematic, and anything including ‘Red’ in it, we need to start with a clean slate here, not try to hang onto any of the holdover from previous names and imagery,” West, a member of the Cheyenne nation, said of some of the popular options being floated around, such as Washington Warriors or Washington Red Tails. “In this case, the obvious problem is that if you replace the current name with that, aren’t all the same people in face paint playing Indian going to continue to do the same thing?”
WTOP – DC’s NFL team needs to get away from red and apologize
Blackstone, one of the co-producers’ of a documentary film in production called “Imagining the Indian” about the movement to eradicate Native American names, logos and mascots in the world of sports and beyond, applauds the name change decision, but there is concern over the team’s messaging.
The Kojo Nnamdi Show – After Decades Of Pushback, The Washington Football Team Is Retiring Its Name
A discussion of the latest news in the football team’s name change and how indigenous communities have been stereotyped with Kevin Blackstone, Ray Halbritter and Tom Sherwood.
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Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
Lead Executive Producer | Website
Aviva Kempner
Director & Producer | View Bio
Ben West
Director & Producer | View Bio
Sam Bardley
Producer | View Bio
Kevin Blackistone
Producer | View Bio
Barbara Ballow
Editor | View Bio
Yancey Burns
Associate Producer | View Bio
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