FARGO (KFGO) – Despite claims to the contrary in a newly-filed federal lawsuit, the group challenging the NFL’s Washington Commanders football team is not incorporated in the state of North Dakota.
The Native American Guardian’s Association’s (NAGA) suit against the football team, its leadership and another Native American nonprofit hinges on defamation and civil rights claims that the defendants called NAGA a “fake group” and worked together to “indirectly” attack Native Americans and “attack NAGA’s integrity.”
The federal complaint filed Monday states multiple times that NAGA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, “duly incorporated in North Dakota.”
However, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office, NAGA’s status in North Dakota has been “inactive – involuntary” since 2017.
NAGA was filed only as a trade name for another North Dakota nonprofit group called Oyesna Corporation in 2015. The Oyesna Corporation is listed as “not in good standing” with the state and its status has also been “inactive-involuntary” since 2017.
A spokesperson for NAGA says the group is actually incorporated in Virginia but claims it is still headquartered in North Dakota. NAGA has six directors on its board. Only one, NAGA’s president Eunice Davidson, is a North Dakota resident.
The group’s registered agent is based in Virginia.
NAGA championed a petition in August that demanded the team’s new owners change the Commanders’ nickname back to Redskins which has collected nearly 133,000 signatures.
At the end of August, Commanders President Jason Wright told reporters that a return to the former nickname is, quote, “not being considered. Period.”
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