Eni Faleomavaega: “Not only is the word ``redskin'' inappropriate, but just plain offensive. It is a derogatory term towards the American…”

“Not only is the word ``redskin'' inappropriate, but just plain offensive. It is a derogatory term towards the American Indians. I want to share with my colleagues and the 181 million football fans all over America how the word ``redskin'' came about. In 1749, it was a standard procedure among the colonial settlers who lived in what is now Maine and Nova Scotia to kill and scalp as many of the Indians who were members of the Micmac Tribe. The same policy was also implemented in 1755 by settlers who lived in what is now known as the State of Massachusetts. Their objective was to kill and scalp members of the Penobscot Indian Nation. Mr. Speaker, the colonial policy was that you get paid for killing and scalping Native American Indians. If you kill an Indian boy, you get paid 50 pounds. If you get a scalp, that is an additional 40 pounds. Not only is it for the men, but also for the women and children that are scalped and killed. And you get paid for it. Mr. Speaker, I submit that these scalps were called ``redskins.'' Native Americans are human beings, Mr. Speaker. They are not animals. ____________________”