University Washington Resolution

RESOLUTION ON THE WASHINGTON-MINNESOTA NFL GAME
AUTHOR: Clemon Dabney, Executive Vice President of COGS

WHEREAS, on November 2nd, 2014, the Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to host the
Washington, D.C. franchise of the National Football League for a football game on the
University of Minnesota campus at TCF Bank Stadium, and

WHEREAS, this NFL team’s name and logo refers to an unacceptable racial slur that is
disparaging and offensive to Native Americans and originates from a time when Native people
were actively hunted and killed for bounties and their skins used as proof of an Indian kill, and

WHEREAS, every national Tribal organization, including the National Congress of American
Indians, United South and Eastern Tribes, and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, as well
as at least 50 more organizations that represent various groups of Native Americans have
condemned the use of the Washington, D.C. mascot, passing resolutions in support of a name
change, and

WHEREAS, at least twenty-three individual tribes across the country including the Navajo
Nation, the largest tribe in the country, officially censure and oppose this name, as they find the
Washington, D.C. football team name to be racially offensive and

WHEREAS, our state has a history of state sponsored genocide. An ad from Winona,
Minnesota’s Daily Republican, dated September 24, 1863. It promotes the financial reward for
the murder of Native American men, women, and children. It states: “The state reward for dead
Indians has been increased to $200 for every red-skin sent to Purgatory. This sum is more than
the dead bodies of all the Indians east of the Red River are worth.” There is direct historical
connection between this vile hate speech used 150 years ago to promote the killing of Native
Americans for profit and the 21
st
Century dehumanizing racial slur which the NFL profits from
today, and
WHEREAS, the TCF Bank Stadium is a publicly operated facility, financed by Minnesota
taxpayers, and the State of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota
are obligated to ensure this facility is welcoming to all Minnesotans, including Native
Americans, and is free from the public display or announcement of any racial slur, and
WHEREAS, Minnesota has a strong Native American community and TCF Bank Stadium
honors that community with a plaza recognizing each of our tribal nations, and

WHEREAS, one of those tribal nations, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community,
contributed $10 million toward the funding of this stadium, and

WHEREAS, graduate students pay $12.50 per semester to service the University’s stadium debt,
and

WHEREAS Vikings Facility Use Contract which states “University and its employees and
agents may refuse admission to the TCF Bank Stadium of (and remove from the TCF Bank
Stadium) any person whose behavior violates any Applicable Law, Stadium Rule or right of
others or is otherwise objectionable or improper in a material way.” and thus insuring the
University of Minnesota provides a racism free, welcoming and safe environment for all that
does not violate the of Regents' Equity, Diversity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action
Policy, and

WHEREAS, President Kaler has expressed opposition to the use of the Washington team’s name
and logo within TCF Bank Stadium, and the presence of the Washington franchise on the
University of Minnesota campus would be in violation of the Board of Regents' Equity,
Diversity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action Policy, and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate
Students urges the University of Minnesota to condemn and prohibit the use of the Washington
franchise’s name in connection with the Viking’s use of TCF Bank Stadium, such as announcers
at the game will refer to the team as the Washington franchise, ensuring the Washington team
play in their throwback helmets and jerseys which do not have the offensive name or logos and
that patrons are free from racist attire,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, in addition, the General Assembly of the Council
of Graduate Students urges the University to host a press conference at least two weeks prior to
the game during which acceptable conduct should be reviewed, and that informs why the slur is
offensive, and invokes sexual violence and racism,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate
Students urges the University to e-mail the University of Minnesota community with a reminder
of our diversity and equity policies, summarizing the points raised at the press conference, and
including information on reporting incidents of bias,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate
Students authorizes the Executive Board of the Council of Graduate Students to take all
appropriate and legal necessary steps for achieving this goal, including the writing of a public
letter condemning the use of this racial slur under the principles outlined in this resolution,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate
Students urges the University of Minnesota to donate its rental income ($250,000+) from this
game to endow a scholarship dedicated to supporting Native American students in all
departments in every college on the Twin Cities campus.