Washington (AFP) - The nickname of the NFL's Washington Redskins is not offensive to 90 percent of Native Americans surveyed in a poll released Thursday by the Washington Post.
The newspaper said it polled 504 Native Americans from around the United States and also found that 78 percent of respondents did not consider the nickname an important issue.
The US capital's NFL club has come under fire in recent years for its reluctance to consider changing the name many find a racial slur toward Native Americans.
Redskins' owner Dan Snyder, who has refused to consider changing the nickname, said the results supported his contention that the nickname is a tribute to Native Americans.