Redskins name scrapped by Ottawa minor football club - Action News
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Ottawa

Redskins name scrapped by Ottawa minor football club

The minor football club known for 35 years as the Nepean Redskins has changed its name to the Nepean Eagles after public backlash and a human rights complaint.

Team changes name to Nepean Eagles for 2014 season after public outrage

Nepean Redskins will now be known as the Nepean Eagles, with new jerseys and helmets, plus a new scoreboard for the 2014 season. (CBC)

TheNepeanRedskins youth football team in Ottawa has officially changed its name to theNepeanEagles after public outrage.

The organization has alreadychanged its websitein anticipation of its36thseason in 2014 and a statement on its website says there will be new jerseys and helmets, and a new scoreboard for this upcoming season.

We now embark on the next phase of our great club with a new name and colours, read the statement from the football clubs president, Steve Dean.

The Nepean Redskins have officially changed their name to the Nepean Eagles after 35 years. (NepeanEagles.ca)

There is certainly one big advantage of having an NFL namesake easy access to clothing, jerseys, hatsand other swag.

Dean added the jerseys would soon be available at the Source for Sports store in south Ottawas Barrhaven neighbourhood.

In September, Deanannounced the club would change its namebecause it was offensive and divisive to the community.

Public outrage backed byOjibwayDJ

The team had also been under community pressure to make the change, which mounted whenOjibwaymusician IanCampeaufiled a human rights complaintagainst the team.

Campeau, a member of electronic group A Tribe Called Red and father of two, has said he'd beentrying to get the team to change its identity for several years.

Ian Campeau of A Tribe Called Red said he's been working to get the name changed for more than two years. (CBC)

"It's about the entitlement of being able to label an oppressed people, to call somebody they have no ties to...that word,Campeausaid in the fall.

The team believes the transition could take a few years and cost more than $100,000 to complete.Campeauhas offered to helpraise money.

The team has been known as the Redskins since 1981, in alliance with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. The Eagles name will be in alliance with the NFLs Philadelphia Eagles.

This name change could confuse some local residents.The East Nepean Eagles are an Ottawa youth baseball organization thatreached the Little League World Series last summer.