Public Relations

Navajo casino enterprise wasn't told of NFL team involvement

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise would have backed out of a charity golf event had it been told the lead sponsor was the Original Americans Foundation, CEO Derrick Watchman said.

Watchman, a member of the Navajo Nation, said he was approached in March to help raise money for scholarships. But the enterprise didn't know the event was being called The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation 1st Annual KTNN Celebrity Golf Tournament until the day before.

“We were unaware until yesterday, April 11, that the Washington Redskins had any involvement in this golf tournament. Had we known of its involvement, it would have led to us declining the sponsorship and likely affected other Navajo organizations’ involvement as well. We deeply regret not being told of the Washington Redskins involvement in advance of [the] tournament," Watchman told Indian Country Today.

Other sponsors of the event included Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority, a tribal agency, and the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President. A spokesperson for President Ben Shelly, however, refused to comment to ICT when asked about the controversy.

Get the Story:
Redskins Sponsorship Taints Navajo Golf Event, Other Sponsors Outraged (Indian Country Today 4/13)