Poll: 9 in 10 Native Americans Don't Mind 'Redskins' Name

A new poll finds that the vast majority of Native Americans aren't offended by the Washington Redskins name -- an indication that a national campaign to ban the name has had a surprisingly small impact on most Native Americans.

The survey was conducted by the Washington Post and included 504 people across the United States. Nine out of 10 Native Americans said they were not offended by the name, which is not a big difference from a 2004 poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, according to the Post report.

A total of 7 in 10 did not find the word "Redskin" to be offensive or disrespectful at all, while 8 out of 10 wouldn't be bothered by a non-native calling him or her that term.

The poll results are a big win for Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who has led a years-long campaign to defend the name amidst attacks from activists groups who denounce it as being a racist term. And it might have an impact on Snyder's bottom line: two years ago, a federal judge ordered the cancellation of the Redskins' trademark registrations, which could potentially cost Snyder in merchandising. The findings could be used in the ongoing legal battle over the name.

"The Washington Redskins team, our fans and community have always believed our name represents honor, respect and pride," the owner said in a statement as quoted by the Post. "Today’s Washington Post polling shows Native Americans agree. We are gratified by this overwhelming support from the Native American community, and the team will proudly carry the Redskins name."

A 2014 national ESPN poll found that 23 percent of respondents said that the term "Redskins" should be retired, which is far more than the 9 percent of actual Native Americans in the Post poll who say they are offended by it.

Change the Mascot, a national campaign to end the use of the team name, said in a statement Thursday that Redskins is a racial slur and Native Americans are not mascots.

"The results of this poll confirm a reality that is encouraging but hardly surprising: Native Americans are resilient and have not allowed the NFL’s decades-long denigration of us to define our own self-image," said Change the Mascot leaders National Congress of American Indians Executive Director Jackie Pata and Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter. "However, that proud resilience does not give the NFL a license to continue marketing, promoting, and profiting off of a dictionary-defined racial slur -- one that tells people outside of our community to view us as mascots.

"Social science research and first-hand experience has told us that this kind of denigration has both visible and unseen consequences for Native Americans in this country," they continued. "This is especially the case for children, who were not polled and who are in a particularly vulnerable position to be bullied by the NFL. It is the 21st century -- it is long overdue for Native Americans to be treated not as mascots or targets of slurs, but instead as equals."

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