Eni Faleomavaega: “It's me again. I rise today on behalf of our Native American community to speak on a subject of great concern--the use…”

“It's me again. I rise today on behalf of our Native American community to speak on a subject of great concern--the use of the term ``redskins'' by the National Football League's Washington franchise. Recently, our nationally recognized commentator, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, attempted to wash away years of pain, suffering, and humiliation endured by our Nation's first inhabitants by questioning their motives in seeking to rid the NFL of this most racist, disparaging, and patently offensive word. As with most of the non-Native American general public, Mr. Limbaugh does not appear to know the violent and abusive history behind this racial epithet. I would like to take this opportunity to provide Mr. Limbaugh and the American people some much-needed clarity on the subject. You see, Mr. Speaker, much of the outcry over the name of the NFL's football franchise is due, in large part, to the Federal Government's protection of disparaging trademarks granted to the franchise for the Redskins. Governing Federal law established since 1946 requires that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office deny registration for any such words. The origin of the term ``redskins,'' Mr. Speaker, is commonly attributed to the historical act of not only killing Native Americans, but also cutting off certain body parts and scalping the heads of even women and children as evidence and are then paid by the colonial officials. These scalps, Mr. Speaker, were described as redskins. I submit, Mr.…”