On November 7 the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome will be the site of a Nation Football League (NFL) game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington NFL franchise. As you are aware, the Washington team is a privately owned business that chooses to use the disparaging and demeaning brand “Redskins” as their mascot. In my view, this NFL team’s mascot is an unacceptable racial slur disparaging to Native American and offensive to Minnesotans. This view is shared by leaders throughout the Native American community who have spent decades advocating for a change to this harmful, discriminatory mascot.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is named in honor of the former Minneapolis mayor, U.S. Senator, and Vice President of the United States who championed civil rights and antidiscrimination. The Metrodome is a publicly operated facility and financed by Minnesota taxpayers. The State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis have legal obligations to ensure this facility is a workplace and a public venue that is welcoming to all Minnesotans, including Native Americans, and free from the public display or announcement of any racial slur.

With regard to the NFL game on November 7, it would be my hope that all state statues, ordinances of the City of Minneapolis, and policies of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) regards civil rights, non-discrimination, and affirmative action would be fully reviewed and applied with regard to displaying, publicly announcing, and promoting the Washington team’s racially disparaging name and logo.