Dan Snyder's Letter

[DarthMonk]

March 24, 2014

To Everyone in our Washington Redskins Nation:

Several months ago I wrote you about my personal reflections on our team name and on our shared Washington Redskins heritage. I wrote then – and believe even more firmly now – that our team name captures the best of who we are and who we can be, by staying true to our history and honoring the deep and enduring values our name represents.

In that letter, I committed myself to listening and learning from all voices with a perspective about our Washington Redskins name. I’ve been encouraged by the thousands of fans across the country who support keeping the Redskins tradition alive. Most – by overwhelming majorities – find our name to be rooted in pride for our shared heritage and values.

“There are Native Americans everywhere that 100% support the name,” Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians Chairwoman Mary L. Resvaloso told me when I came to visit her tribe. “I believe God has turned this around for something good.” She told me that it was far more important for us to focus on the challenges of education in Native American communities. I listened closely, and pledged to her that I would find ways to improve the daily lives of people in her tribe.

What would my resolve to honoring our legacy mean if I myself—as the owner of and a passionate believer in the Washington Redskins—didn’t stay true to my word? I wanted and needed to hear firsthand what Native Americans truly thought of our name, our logo, and whether we were, in fact, upholding the principle of respect in regard to the Native American community.

So over the past four months, my staff and I travelled to 26 Tribal reservations across twenty states to listen and learn first-hand about the views, attitudes, and experiences of the Tribes. We were invited into their homes, their Tribal Councils and their communities to learn more about the extraordinary daily challenges in their lives.

“I appreciated your sincerity to learn about our culture and the real-life issues we face on a daily basis,” Pueblo of Zuni Governor Arlen Quetawki told us after we toured his reservation. “I look forward to working together with you to improve the lives of Native Americans in any way possible."

The more I heard, the more I’ve learned, and the more I saw, the more resolved I became about helping to address the challenges that plague the Native American community. In speaking face-to-face with Native American leaders and community members, it’s plain to see they need action, not words.

Yes, some tribes are doing well. And in our candid conversations, we learned that we share so much with Indian country. We find their appreciation of history, legacy, caring for their elders and providing a better future for their youth inspirational and admirable.

But the fact is, too many Native American communities face much harsher, much more alarming realities. They have genuine issues they truly are worried about, and our team’s name is not one of them. Here are just a few staggering, heartbreaking facts about the challenges facing Native Americans today:

-- The official poverty rate on reservations is 29 percent, as determined by the U.S. Census.
36 percent of families with children are below the poverty line on reservations, compared with
9 percent of families nationally. Jobs are scarce, and so is genuine opportunity.

-- Rampant diabetes, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, and heightened suicide rates afflict Native American youth, adults, and veterans. Life expectancies in high poverty Native American communities are the lowest anywhere in the Western Hemisphere—except for Haiti.

-- Tribal reservations can lack even the most basic infrastructure that most Americans take for granted. For example, according to the independent, highly respected Millennium Project, 13 percent of Native American households have no access to safe water and/or wastewater disposal, compared with just 0.6 percent in non-native households. Similarly, 14 percent of homes on Native American reservations have no electricity, compared to just 1 percent among non-native households. It is hard to build for a better tomorrow without the basic needs of today.

These aren’t rare circumstances. These are the unfortunate facts found throughout Indian country today.

I’ve listened. I’ve learned. And frankly, its heart wrenching. It’s not enough to celebrate the values and heritage of Native Americans. We must do more.

I want to do more. I believe the Washington Redskins community should commit to making a real, lasting, positive impact on Native American quality of life—one tribe and one person at a time. I know we won’t be able to fix every problem. But we need to make an impact.

And so I will take action.

As loyal fans of the Washington Redskins, I want you to know that tomorrow I will announce the creation of the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.

The mission of the Original Americans Foundation is to provide meaningful and measurable resources that provide genuine opportunities for Tribal communities. With open arms and determined minds, we will work as partners to begin to tackle the troubling realities facing so many tribes across our country. Our efforts will address the urgent challenges plaguing Indian country based on what Tribal leaders tell us they need most. We may have created this new organization, but the direction of the Foundation is truly theirs.
Our work is already underway, under the leadership of Gary Edwards, a Cherokee and retired Deputy Assistant Director of the United States Secret Service, as well as a founder and chief executive officer of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association.

Because I’m so serious about the importance of this cause, I began our efforts quietly and respectfully, away from the spotlight, to learn and take direction from the Tribal leaders themselves. In addition to travelling and meeting in-person with Tribal communities, we took a survey of tribes across 100 reservations so that we could have an accurate assessment of the most pressing needs in each community.

The stories I heard and the experiences I witnessed were of children without winter coats or athletic shoes; students in makeshift classrooms without adequate school supplies; text books more than decades old; rampant and unnecessary suffering from preventable diseases like diabetes; economic hardship almost everywhere; and in too many places too few of the tools and technology that we all take for granted every day—computers, internet access, even cellphone coverage.

In the heart of America’s Indian country, poverty is everywhere. That’s not acceptable. We have so much, yet too many Native Americans have so little.

Our work has already begun:

-- As the bitter Arctic winds swept across the Plains this winter, we distributed over 3,000 cold-weather coats to several tribes, as well as shoes to players on boys and girls basketball teams.
“It’s been one of the coldest winters on record,” Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Vice Chairman Boyd Gourneau told me. “The entire Tribe is so appreciative of the coats we received for our youth and elders. It’s been such a great relationship, and we hope it grows.”

-- We assisted in the purchase of a new backhoe for the Omaha Tribe in Nebraska. The Tribe will now be able to complete the burial process for their loved ones even in the coldest winter months, as well as assist in water pipe repairs which, without a functioning backhoe, has left the tribe without water -- for days.

These projects were the first of many and we currently have over forty additional projects currently in process. We look forward to telling you more about these as our work proceeds.

For too long, the struggles of Native Americans have been ignored, unnoticed and unresolved. As a team, we have honored them through our words and on the field, but now we will honor them through our actions. We commit to the tribes that we stand together with you, to help you build a brighter future for your communities.

The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation will serve as a living, breathing legacy – and an ongoing reminder – of the heritage and tradition that is the Washington Redskins. I’m glad to be able to launch this vital initiative today.

With Respect and Appreciation,

Dan Snyder

P.S. Throughout this journey, there have been many incredible moments. One of my favorite fan moments took place in Gallup, NM – to the cheers of dozens of Washington Redskins fans. As Pueblo of Zuni Governor Arlen Quetawki noted, “We even had an unprompted welcoming party of Washington Redskins fans from Zuni and Navajo greet you when you departed from the airport!” The passion and support for the Burgundy and Gold throughout the country has been overwhelming.

[mastdark81]

Love the idea. Snyder drops the mic and walks out the room on the haters. Proud of my team and looking forward to donating.

[langleyparkjoe]

Love the idea. Snyder drops the mic and walks out the room on the haters. Proud of my team and looking forward to donating.

YESSIR!!!

Good job Snyder, keep up the good work and I hope the foundation blossoms and helps more people in need in those forgotten territories.

[Countertrey]

Masterful move. This will both encourage those original Americans whom do not have an issue with the name (and, are often fans), AND will kick the knees from under the Harjo crowd.

all I can think of is "NOW THERE'S A STEAL BY BIRD!!!"...

Great play by Snyder!

[riggofan]

lol. Masterful? Dropping the mic? Give me a break. This is the PR equivalent of the Senator who gets caught cheating on his wife and checks himself into rehab for sex addiction. Its Mike Vick joining the Humane Society. Masterful would have been making this move eight years ago before it became such a noisy issue. Right now its just the obvious thing to do to try to stem the tide.

Don't get me wrong. I like the initiative, and I posted in the Redskins "name change" thread months ago that I thought the team should/would do something like this. I'm just not buying that its some ninja move by Snyder that is going to completely squash the issue.

What I do like is that Snyder has (truthfully IMO) said the team name is intended to honor Native Americans. The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation puts some money where his mouth is. The foundation can do more to assist Native Americans than forcing the team to change the name ever would. That's a solid argument in my book.

[Countertrey]

lol. Masterful? Dropping the mic? Give me a break. This is the PR equivalent of the Senator who gets caught cheating on his wife and checks himself into rehab for sex addiction. Its Mike Vick joining the Humane Society. Masterful would have been making this move eight years ago before it became such a noisy issue. Right now its just the obvious thing to do to try to stem the tide.

Don't get me wrong. I like the initiative, and I posted in the Redskins "name change" thread months ago that I thought the team should/would do something like this. I'm just not buying that its some ninja move by Snyder that is going to completely squash the issue.

What I do like is that Snyder has (truthfully IMO) said the team name is intended to honor Native Americans. The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation puts some money where his mouth is. The foundation can do more to assist Native Americans than forcing the team to change the name ever would. That's a solid argument in my book.

That, plus the fact that Susan Harjo is already crying "foul" underlines exactly why this IS masterful... He owns the high ground, and the initiative. Harjo and her movement of the terminally offended are now struggling for relevance... this move did that. Snyder must now give the foundation some serious beef to keep it that way.

[emoses14]

lol. Masterful? Dropping the mic? Give me a break. This is the PR equivalent of the Senator who gets caught cheating on his wife and checks himself into rehab for sex addiction. Its Mike Vick joining the Humane Society. Masterful would have been making this move eight years ago before it became such a noisy issue. Right now its just the obvious thing to do to try to stem the tide.

Don't get me wrong. I like the initiative, and I posted in the Redskins "name change" thread months ago that I thought the team should/would do something like this. I'm just not buying that its some ninja move by Snyder that is going to completely squash the issue.

What I do like is that Snyder has (truthfully IMO) said the team name is intended to honor Native Americans. The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation puts some money where his mouth is. The foundation can do more to assist Native Americans than forcing the team to change the name ever would. That's a solid argument in my book.

That, plus the fact that Susan Harjo is already crying "foul" underlines exactly why this IS masterful... He owns the high ground, and the initiative. Harjo and her movement of the terminally offended are now struggling for relevance... this move did that. Snyder must now give the foundation some serious beef to keep it that way.

This move clearly caught her unaware

I'm glad that he's had a realization that Native Americans have it tough in the United States. All sorts of people could have told him that, and have been trying to tell him that for a long time.

Well, no lady, you've been telling him that the name is demeaning and racist, should be changed and that he shouldn't have copyright protection for it. That's not the same as trying to get him to create a foundation geared toward helping someone financially.

Even better:

Will [the foundation] do much of anything? No. But it probably won't hurt except that it will continue the cycle of negative imaging of Native American people in the public arena."

Other than, in your opinion, the use of the word "Redskin" in the name, how is a charitable foundation whose stated purpose is to help Native Americans going to continue the cycle of negative imaging in the public arena? It may be a PR move, sure; that doesn't make it any less effective.

[masterkwon]

I don't doubt there isn't sincerity here on Tiny's part, but it's still a smoke and mirrors distraction. Tiny probably believes if he plays the charity card and throws enough money at an important human issue, maybe they'll forget about the racist name. He is a piece of work isn't he?

[Irn-Bru]

This is obviously a PR stunt motivated by the desire to keep his team's name, and not a refreshing breeze of goodness coming from the big heart of Dan Snyder. (Maybe I'm just cynical, but I just don't know how else to read Snyder's actions/words on the matter. He doesn't inspire confidence.)

Still, it's going to serve its role. People who were demanding a name change kept chanting the mantra that they just wanted Snyder to "listen" to the critiques and protests. As if they were going to be satisfied with anything less than the Redskins (a) changing the name, (b) admitting that they are racist pieces of crap, and (c) eternally grovelling to try to obtain forgiveness for their sins. In order to score rhetorical points, however, they decided to frame the issue as one of "listening" and conversation, portraying Snyder as someone who would never dare to actually reach out and connect with people on their level.

But then, whoops, he did. He called the bluff. Now what? It's clear that's not what people really wanted, and so Snyder is basically forcing their hand. They'll have to go back to being shrill and one-note, and they will lose prominence in the national "debate" on the topic.

Sure, people will make fun of Snyder for this because it's so clumsy that it almost seems like a bad joke. But he was damned if he did, damned if he didn't. Better to do something and reach out, because then if your critics don't budge they look a lot less reasonable and a lot more cynical. Not good for their cause. It's going to be a lot harder for journalists and bloggers (like the insufferable Deadspin) to legitimately claim that Snyder has his fingers in his ears and is being childish. He doesn't and he isn't, even if this whole thing is rather awkward.

I don't think "masterful" is the term to describe this. I think a real PR master would have kept the lid on things starting a long time ago. Still, the end result will be the name doesn't change for at least another half-dozen years or more, which is great. Hail to the Redskins.

[Kilmer72]

I'm sure Mike Florio will be extremely upset.

[SkinsJock]

Hail to the REDSKINS - in the 'game' that is being waged for the 'naming rights' - Dan gets a point ...

maybe in time but certainly not soon ....

gotta love it

does anyone really think the name is changing soon ...... if ever

[tribeofjudah]

It's a brilliant move by Danny! He has lots of money; can help the poor; and bring attention to many issues: team, tribes, hardship, poverty...the list goes on

[SouthLondonRedskin]

Dan will get a lot of crap for this, he'll be called cynical and self-motivated in his reasons for creating the foundation.

But none of that matters; Good will come of this and people will be helped/saved.

I don't know Dan and I, like so many people, do not have the right to judge him because of that. I'd like to think he is sincere in his motives but of course none of ths would have happened but for the threat to the team's name.

But remember this Redskin name haters: He didn't have to do any of this. He could have just changed the name and be done. It was the easy way out, the politically correct thing to do. And why not? Other owners have moved their teams to different cities for Christ's sake! Changing name is less grief and less expensive than uprooting to a new location altogether.

Instead Dan has taken steps to not only address important social issues for America's forgotten (original) community but to also ensure that the name 'Redskins' will have positive connotations beyond the simple lip service of how it honours native Americans.

For that Dan, I applaud you.

[riggofan]

LMFAO.

Dan will get a lot of crap for this, he'll be called cynical and self-motivated in his reasons for creating the foundation.

Come on man, let's not be naive about it. Of course he will. You'll be hard pressed to find a news article about this that doesn't use the phrase "PR gambit". And it IS a cynical, self-motivated move. Snyder didn't just wake up the other day and decided he wants to help native Americans.

But none of that matters; Good will come of this and people will be helped/saved.

Oh good grief. Saved???

But remember this Redskin name haters: He didn't have to do any of this. He could have just changed the name and be done. It was the easy way out, the politically correct thing to do. And why not?

Seriously? You think that setting up a foundation to donate coats to native Americans is a more difficult/expensive thing to do than changing the name of an 82 year old sports franchise???

Instead Dan has taken steps to not only address important social issues for America's forgotten (original) community but to also ensure that the name 'Redskins' will have positive connotations beyond the simple lip service of how it honours native Americans.

For that Dan, I applaud you.

[riggofan]

I don't think "masterful" is the term to describe this. I think a real PR master would have kept the lid on things starting a long time ago. Still, the end result will be the name doesn't change for at least another half-dozen years or more, which is great. Hail to the Redskins.

Well said, that was pretty much my reaction as well. I would just add that I think Snyder could really squash the naming issue longer term if his foundation proves to be something legit over the next few years. He's smart enough to make that happen.

[langleyparkjoe]

We don't know what will happen as a result of the foundation..
but being quick to type something negative about it won't change anything.
And why be so negative anyways? It's a charitable foundation to help people.. whether the reason be for personal growth or because of the name change, it will still help people won't it? Something as small as getting coats for people.. it helped didn't it?
Isn't helping people worth some positive response?
No of course it isn't.. he's Danny Snyder so we MUST bash it.

[riggofan]

We don't know what will happen as a result of the foundation..
but being quick to type something negative about it won't change anything.

I agree. Of course we don't need to be negative about it. We don't need to wet our pants about it either. You'd think Redskins fans of all people would know better.

[mastdark81]

We don't know what will happen as a result of the foundation..
but being quick to type something negative about it won't change anything.
And why be so negative anyways? It's a charitable foundation to help people.. whether the reason be for personal growth or because of the name change, it will still help people won't it? Something as small as getting coats for people.. it helped didn't it?
Isn't helping people worth some positive response?
No of course it isn't.. he's Danny Snyder so we MUST bash it.

I agree totally! Glad they formed a foundation. Doesn't matter how late it is or what the true intentions were. The foundation apparently have already helped so it is better than nothing and he is providing a forum for people to donate and help as well via payroll deduction or one time gift.

Only the people that are miserable with their own life and quick to judge will look down on this. Maybe we all should form a foundation for their own depression.

[SouthLondonRedskin]

We don't know what will happen as a result of the foundation..
but being quick to type something negative about it won't change anything.

I agree. Of course we don't need to be negative about it. We don't need to wet our pants about it either. You'd think Redskins fans of all people would know better.

I'm not 'wetting my pants' about anything, I was just making the point that he didn't have to do any of this, and that he may, actually, be sincere in his reasons for doing it also. As I don't know him personally I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Its gotten to the point that everything he does is wrong it most peoples eyes, but to me he seems to be learning from his past mistakes. Basically he's gonna be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Cos of people like you.

So keep your ***king to yourself.

[riggofan]

Its gotten to the point that everything he does is wrong it most peoples eyes, but to me he seems to be learning from his past mistakes.

That's a possibility. Being a dismissive jerk about the issue didn't do much to squash it. So, yeah, I completely agree this was a good step.

Basically he's gonna be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Cos of people like you.

Not sure what you mean. Why people like me? I wrote that I think it was a good move. I just didn't publicly fellate him for saving the native americans.

[welch]

It would have been better if Snyder had simply acted and not talked about it. Yes, the letter seems cynical because it probably is cynical. Would Snyder have looked into American Indians if no one had complained about the team name? Not likely. So much better to do the work without regard for the publicity. Then if somone complained about the name, he could have asked them to investigate real problems in Indian tribes and reservations. Let a reporter discover that the team had been doing good work.

Redskin Dan v1978 suggested this, and I agree.

[riggofan]

I hear what you're saying. My only criticism of his letter was that it was maybe a little too earnest. There's a little bit of the "some of my best friends are..." defense in it, IMHO.

I don't have a problem with him announcing the foundation though, and it would partially defeat the purpose if he didn't announce it. Maybe, like you're saying, he didn't really need to send an email to everybody on the redskins mailing list. lol.

The Redskins Foundation is a good thing. When the team and fans argue that the name Redskins is intended to honor native Americans, they can also now point to the fact that the team is doing more than just "honoring" them.

[riggofan]

lmfao. Masterful!

[Countertrey]

lmfao. Masterful!

The hyperbolic response... underlines the panic of the professionally agrieved... their cause is about to disappear as an item of relevance... and they know it. Clearly, you still don't get it.

[riggofan]

The hyperbolic response... underlines the panic of the professionally agrieved... their cause is about to disappear as an item of relevance... and they know it. Clearly, you still don't get it.

lol. Whatever.

"Here, as in all good satire, there exists more than a bit of exaggeration. But there is no doubt that more than a kernel of truth also exists..."