Essex Files: Bring Back the Redskins: Honoring Heritage Over Woke Erasure

This is a story about John Two Guns White Calf, the last chief of the Blackfeet. His proud visage was immortalized on the Washington Redskins’ logo, designed by Blackie Wetzel to honor Native American strength. For decades, from 1972 to 2019, that emblem blazed across NFL fields, a tribute to “Indian Country” that stirred pride in fans and Native communities alike. Also, it was the only skin color besides white that noted racist original owner George Preston Marshall tolerated. Now, President Donald Trump is taking a stand, demanding the Washington Commanders ditch their bland moniker and bring back the Redskins name—or face a “restriction” on their shiny new stadium deal at RFK. Trump has also called for a return of the Indians' name to Cleveland instead of being called the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.

He’s right: It’s time to restore the Redskins name, reject the woke erasure of our heritage, and honor the legacy of John Two Guns White Calf. The Redskins name isn’t just a brand; it’s a symbol of American grit and Native pride. The Blackfeet tribe’s chairman and council have signed a letter backing the logo’s return, calling it a tribute to their revered chief. Senator Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, agrees, noting that the logo honors “Indian Country” and could even fund Native American sports initiatives. Over 150,000 fans have signed a petition to bring the name back, and a 2024 Washington Post poll shows 58% of Washington fans prefer Redskins over Commanders. 

Trump calls for Washington and Cleveland to change their names back to the Redskins and Indians. 97% of you agreed both teams should do this in a recent poll I ran on here. pic.twitter.com/d7RTpoq0XF

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 20, 2025

From Joe Theismann’s gridiron heroics to Jason Buck, a Native American Super Bowl champ who’s begging Trump to fight for the name, the Redskins legacy runs deep. This isn’t about nostalgia—it’s a clamor for common sense in a country that cherishes its past. Yet, Commanders owner Josh Harris clings to his “amazing” new name, claiming it reflects D.C.’s military culture and the toughness of players like Jayden Daniels.

Give me a break. “Commanders” sounds like a generic toilet paper brand name cooked up in a corporate boardroom, not a nod to the fierce spirit of John Two Guns White Calf. Harris’s excuse is a flimsy dodge, ignoring the cultural gut-punch of erasing a logo that Native advocates like the Native American Guardians Association fight to preserve.

Trump wants the woke football names gone:

"The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to The Washington Redskins... OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!" pic.twitter.com/YzxfpigRy4

— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) July 20, 2025

The 2020 name change, driven by corporate pressure and a summer of racial hysteria, wasn’t progress—it was, as Daines put it, “woke gone wrong.” It stripped away a tribute to Native heritage under the guise of sensitivity, leaving fans and players like Scott Turner, a former Redskins defensive back, feeling betrayed. Turner took to X to declare, “I played in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. Not the ‘Washington Football Team’ or the ‘Commanders.’"

I played in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Redskins.

Not the “Washington Football Team” or the “Commanders.” @POTUS is right. It’s time to bring the Redskins’ name back. pic.twitter.com/Xa9mOKpxHJ

— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) July 20, 2025

Hail to the Redskins: The Glory Days of Football May Be Returning to DC Thanks to the Senate

Washington legendary RB John Riggins from the University of Kansas, as well as a native of Seneca, Kansas (aka Indian country, once settled by the Kansa or also named Kaw tribe before other tribes entered through placement to reservation areas of Kansas), said, “I feel completely disenfranchised. I can't understand how anybody who once played under the old franchise name, could possibly want to be a part of anything with Washington Commanders,” on his podcast in 2022. 

So President Trump is right. Trump’s threat to block the stadium deal is a masterstroke, a populist jab at the bloated establishment that Harris represents. He’s not just fighting for a name; he’s standing with the “massive numbers” of Native Americans and fans who feel their heritage is being systematically erased.

As he wrote on Truth Social, “Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense.” He’s got a point. The Redskins name, tied to the legacy of John Two Guns White Calf, isn’t a slur—it’s a badge of honor. Restoring it could even channel revenues to Native American causes, as Daines suggests, turning a cultural win into a practical one. This fight is bigger than a football team. It’s about reclaiming our heritage from the clutches of woke bureaucrats who think they know better than the Blackfeet tribe or the fans in the stands.

Bringing back the Redskins name would honor John Two Guns White Calf, unite a fractured fanbase, and remind us that America’s strength lies in its traditions. Trump’s leading the charge, backed by Native voices and everyday folks who refuse to let Indians and also American history be erased. The ball’s in Harris’s court. Let’s see if he’s got the guts to do what’s right.

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