The family descended from the Native American chief whose image was the inspiration for one of the most iconic logos in NFL history, the Washington Redskins, wants to seek the help of President Donald Trump to have the image restored as the team’s logo, having accused the Redskins team of trying to erase them from existence and from history.
Two Guns White Calf of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation inspired the 1971 Redskins logo, which was designed by Walter “Blackie” Wetzel. The franchise used the logo until former owner Daniel Snyder suddenly discontinued it in 2020. “He was such a leader, and he had a hold on the National Football League for 50 years,” estate representative Morningstar Gopher went on to say.
While the team’s logo and name sparked a lot of heated controversy over the years, Native Americans were either passionately supportive of the Redskins name or simply didn’t care. “They tried to erase us, like we didn’t exist anymore,” estate lead Kenneth Conway said in an interview with WTVR. The family says that after years of defending the name, Snyder suddenly took action to cancel it without any sort of consultation.
“They did not even ask our family for approval. They didn’t ask for nothing from us. I mean, we literally got erased,” historian Brock Conway explained, according to a report from Breitbart News. The family is now ready to plead their case to President Trump with the hope that he will use his influence to help get the logo back and protect it from being removed again.
“We’re hopeful for a meeting with President Trump in order to help get this pushed forward,” Gopher stated. “The estate is hoping to restore the former name, the logo of the chief, and get the team stadium renamed after their grandfather,” a report stated. As for the renaming of the stadium, attorneys say that move would be historic.
“It would be a big win in his pocket in terms of helping the Native people in securing the first-ever NFL stadium named after a Native American,” Gopher went on to explain. The president has indicated in recent years that he wants to see the logo and Redskins name make a comeback for the team, stating last year that he would delay or disrupt the team’s current stadium-building process if the name wasn’t restored.
However, since those comments were made, Trump has been mostly silent on the issue. Lots of folks on social media agreed with the family of the chief and want to see both the name and logo make a comeback for the team. “I am a huge Seahawks fan but the Redskin logo and colors in my opinion is the most badass of any sports team,” one user wrote.
"*" indicates required fields
“If they won’t return it to the Redskins, can we name it after the Chief? Washington Two Guns seems like an awesome name for a team,” another user suggested. “Still have all of my Redskins gear and I wear it on game day. Those of us who are from the DMV keep the faith #HTTR,” another individual posted in the comments.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video