Milwaukee-In the midst of the controversy surrounding the Washington D.C.'s NFL team name, progressive education publisher Rethinking Schools decided to send team owner Dan Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell copies of their DVD Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes. 

Originally produced as a filmstrip by the Council on Interracial Books for Children in 1977 as part of a series of filmstrips combating racial stereotypes, Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes was enhanced and transferred to DVD by Rethinking Schools in 2008. In spite of the fact that it was produced more than 35 years ago, the publisher says that it remains a useful resource for understanding and confronting racial stereotypes.

Narrated by Native American children, the DVD asks viewers to examine racial stereotypes through the eyes of children, while also providing a brief introduction to Native American history.

"We're educators," says Mike Trokan, business manager at Rethinking Schools.  "We saw the controversy as an opportunity to not only educate our students, but to help the adults with the power in this situation understand why the use of Indian names and mascots are hurtful and offensive to many Native communities."

Trokan added that there's no better way to do that than through the voices of Native American children. 

In the publisher's letter accompanying the DVD, Trokan wrote, "It is our hope that you view the DVD with an open mind and reconsider your actions and how they contribute to the negative stereotyping of Native Americans."

Rethinking Schools published a lengthier article at their blog that describes the events that moved them to send the DVDs, including a similar struggle in a small town in Wisconsin, publisher's headquarters. 

They write, "As educators committed to social justice, these names and mascots are a violation of our progressive principles, and we need to speak out.  But events like these are also an opportunity for learning and dialogue." 

"This may not make a difference," says Trokan, "but as educators, we have to try." 

Rethinking Schools is a nonprofit publisher and advocacy organization dedicated to sustaining and strengthening public education through social justice teaching and education activism. Our magazine, books and other resources promote equity and racial justice in the classroom. We encourage grassroots efforts to promote practices and policies in our schools and communities that enhance the learning and well being of our children, and to build broad democratic movements for social and environmental justice.