Via Pro Soccer, a report on how the first Native American in pro women’s soccer – Angel City FC’s Madison Hammond – recently called out NJ/NY Gotham FC captain McCall Zerboni for using racist lexicon that disrespects Indigenous culture. The Navajo and Pueblo defender used her voice to educate more than just her fellow players:

Madison Hammond, the NWSL’s only Native American player, spoke out Tuesday night in response to NJ/NY Gotham FC’s McCall Zerboni using an anti-Indigenous metaphor in comments to media following her side’s 4-2 loss to the Houston Dash over the weekend.

Gotham supporters group Cloud 9 referred to Zerboni’s statement as “unacceptable,” and demanded that both Zerboni and Gotham address the matter with both a public apology and internal action.

Hammond then posted a thread on her Twitter account spelling out the harm Zerboni’s words could do, and noting that she had spoken with Zerboni privately.

“This has to be acknowledged and is really important. Not because I want to call out one person but because it’s indicative of how our larger culture continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Native Americans and Indigenous cultures,” said Hammond.

“I’ve spoken with McCall and I know she didn’t intend harm but phrases like ‘too many chiefs’ ‘pow wow’ ‘sitting Indian style’ and many more are rooted in brutal racism and are still way too common in our everyday lexicon,” Hammond added.

Hammond concluded by stating that she hopes this begins “a necessary conversation” about anti-Indigenous phrases being used in the NWSL and elsewhere.

Zerboni offered an apologetic tweet of her own, though it did not specify what actions she was actually apologizing for.

Less than a week before her comments, Zerboni was Gotham’s nominee for the Ally Award, a new NWSLPA award sponsored by Ally Bank.

The Ally Award “recognizes the athlete that embodies the idea of ‘teammate,’ supporting and motivating rookies and veterans alike. The 12 nominees portray the character and leadership that have helped elevate the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) globally,” said Ally in a press release announcing the nominees.

Three days later, Zerboni honed in on a more specific apology, tweeting that “regardless of my intention, any comment that perpetuates a racial stereotype is harmful & unacceptable.”

On Wednesday, Gotham made its first public statement about the matter, saying that as an organization, it “will not abide by any language that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.”

“We have addressed the matter internally and will continue to seek opportunities to educate our organization and community about the impact words have on others,” concluded the club statement.