Lt. Gov. Flanagan To March Against Washington's 'Racist Mascot'

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the highest-ranking Native woman elected to public office in the United States, plans on attending the march against the Washington Redskins when they come to play the Minnesota Vikings Thursday night.

In an opinion piece at the Huffington Post Thursday, Flanagan — a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe — says the Washington football team has a "racist mascot."

She writes that the name Redskins "perpetuates the stereotype that Indigenous people exist solely in history books. It conjures images of Indians with their faces painted riding horseback and battling cowboys."

"But we are still here," she adds.

"We exist in a present-day context. We are teachers. We are doctors. We are elected officials. And we are little kids, watching football for the first time."

Protesters are planning to meet up at 5 p.m. at the Commons (425 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis) before marching to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota plays Washington at 7:20 p.m. Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

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