Community

It is very difficult for me to speak on this but it’s time. Our over 12 year-long legal battle in Blackhorse, et.al. vs. Pro Football was vacated last Thursday. This ends over 25 years of litigation in our case and with the original case, Harjo vs. Pro Football. Given the recent US Supreme Court ruling in Matal vs. Tam we knew this decision was imminent.

When I think back on the past 10 years and I think about all the trials and tribulations we have gone through... Through the losses and gains, I always conclude that no matter how terrible things get, we come back stronger, we fight harder, and nothing can stop us. The fight to take back our stolen identities is what keeps me going. We already won in my opinion and last week’s decision will not shut me up.

Thank you to Suzan Harjo’s leadership and her bold vision to take on a billion dollar industry, the NFL. To take on an NFL franchise is not an easy task! Challenging billionaires and multi-million/billion dollar franchises, as any person, especially for an Indigenous person is a daunting task but one she willing took on. Thank you to my co-plaintiffs who rode the tide as well, as young adults in 2006 we grew up with this case. Thank you to my awesome lawyer Jesse Witten for his heroic work on our case. Thank you to lawyer Jeffery Lopez as well as the team of lawyers and staff at Drinker, Biddle, and Reath in Washington D.C. who worked this case throughout the years. Without them, this would not be possible. They worked our case pro bono all these years. I am forever grateful for your committed to this cause.

Thank you to all our allies, accomplices, my friends, my family and my dearest daughters for your support and seeing this through. Thank you for keeping this fight going.

I wish I could give a more heartfelt and detailed thank you to the people in the movement but due to time constraints, I’m not able to right now. Perhaps a book would be a better place?

Much respect and blessings to those Native mascot slayers who are still fighting this issue in their communities. This movement lives on, our voices have spoken into the universe, and our vision continues to permeate. Ahéheé Nístago, shí ké, shí Dinéh!

~Amanda Blackhorse~

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Thursday vacated decisions that had canceled the Washington NFL team’s federal trademark registrations, officially ending a legal fight that lasted more than 25 years.
Legally speaking, the team won. Culturally speaking, Native American petitioners believe they did.
“We said the term ‘Redskins’ is disparaging and the courts agreed with us,” petitioner Amanda Blackhorse told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s just that now the Supreme Court says it’s OK to register a disparaging term.”
The Fourth Circuit’s decision has been inevitable since June, when the Supreme Court decided in another case that the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. The Blackhorse case depended on that section of the 1946 law.
“While the litigation outcome is not what we were hoping for, my clients feel that they have won,” said Jesse Witten, whose firm represented the Blackhorse petitioners pro bono.”