(WTVO) — The “full-blooded Dakota Sioux” co-founder and president of a Native American group has fired back after a Washington Commanders representative apparently mocked their petition to change the team’s name back to “Redskins.”

According to Fox News, Christina King, a former luxury box owner, texted FedEx Field premium seat sales manager Matthew Laux, telling him “This name change WAS, IS & forever will be a major problem. We just signed the petition from NAGA (Native American Guardians Association) … We will come back as suite owners when the name reverts back to the Washington Redskins … The team never should have never been pressured into changing the name.”

Laux responded, saying, “You understand the people that started this petition is a fake group, right? As a fan of the team I didn’t want it [the Redskins name] changed either.”

Eunice Davidson, NAGA’s president, responded, saying “We’re not a fake group We’re tribal-enrolled members from tribes across the United States,” adding “People want to call us fake and they’ve done that before. They never tell our story and that’s their goal: to wipe out Native history. It’s discrimination when you go after one culture like this.”

The team adopted the name Boston Redskins in 1933 prior to moving to Washington DC in 1937.

Prior owner Dan Snyder dropped “Redskins” from the name in 2020.

M. Andre Billeaudeaux, a Native American historian and author of the book “How the Redskins Got Their Name,” commented, “The Redskins were the only minority representation in the entire NFL and it was a real person, not a mascot. The name Redskins is a national treasure. And for that reason it should be protected. It’s a cultural treasure and deserves to be protected and understood. It’s not just about the football team. It’s about the DNA of the nation.”

Billeaudreaux added, “These people are just ignorant. It’s toxic ignorance. It’s group think. It’s the psychology of a group that has no idea what they’re doing, but they won’t listen to us, either. … Redskins is not about race. It’s a warrior who’s gone through the bloodroot ceremony. … They shave their heads and surrender their souls to their Creator. They paint themselves red as if they were born new into the world.”

The Commanders told Fox News Laux does not speak for the organization and issued a statement, reading, “For nearly 90 years, this franchise had a different name, and many have fond memories of cheering for that team and watching it win three Super Bowls. This does not signify any shift in our approach nor does it change the valid reasons for dropping the name.”