Descendants of Blackfeet Chief John Two Guns White Calf are urging the Washington Commanders to restore the team’s former Redskins name and logo, saying the family was never consulted before both were dropped in 2020.
The Daily Caller reported that estate representatives, including Morningstar Gopher and Kenneth Conway, want the chief’s image returned and the team’s new stadium in Washington, D.C., named the John Two Guns White Calf Memorial Stadium. They have also requested a meeting with President Donald Trump to advance the effort. Gopher said the family hopes the president can help move the request forward, and Conway described the 2020 change as an attempt to erase the family’s history.
Chief Two Guns White Calf, born in 1872 on Montana’s Blackfeet Indian Reservation, was a prominent Piegan Blackfeet leader. In 1971, Blackfeet tribal council member Walter “Blackie” Wetzel created the team’s logo based on the chief’s likeness. The portrait appeared on helmets, uniforms and merchandise from 1972 until the team retired the Redskins name and logo in 2020 amid public pressure over the term. The franchise adopted the name Commanders in 2022.
Family members say the logo was a source of pride and that the chief’s legacy should be preserved. Some Native American advocacy groups had previously pushed for the name’s removal, viewing it as a slur. The Commanders are building a new stadium expected to open around 2030 on the site of the former RFK Stadium.
The team has previously said it is collaborating with Montana Sen. Steve Daines and has developed a relationship with the grandson of the logo’s designer, but it has not indicated plans to restore the former name or image. No confirmed response from the Commanders or the White House to the latest request was available.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
