GRAND FORKS (KNOX) – A North Dakota-based nonprofit organization has sued the NFL’s Washington Commanders, their new owner, and a prominent Native American advocacy group in federal court, claiming the team’s refusal to change its nickname back to the Redskins is an attempt to eradicate Native American history.
Devils Lake-based Native American Guardians Association, known as “NAGA,” accuses the Commanders, its leadership, and the National Congress of American Indians of defamation in the suit, saying the team’s employees called NAGA a “fake group” and conspired to violate NAGA’s civil rights after a petition it championed to reverse the name-change went viral.
The Washington Commanders has not been called the Redskins since 2020 when the name was dropped after sponsors and advocacy groups claimed the nickname was offensive.
NAGA claims the term ‘Redskins’ carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture.
Shortly after a group led by billionaire Josh Harris assumed ownership of the Commanders this summer, NAGA’s petition demanding that the new owners change the team’s name back to the Redskins collected more than 130,000 signatures.
The civil complaint, filed today in U-S District court in North Dakota, demands a jury trial.
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