Students at McGill University have voted by a large majority in favour of changing the Redmen nickname for the schoolB次元官网网址檚 sports teams.

The 79 per cent vote in favour of the change follows a campaign by Indigenous students to shed the name, which they say is derogatory.

The Redmen name dates back to the 1920s. The school says it is a tribute to the teamB次元官网网址檚 red uniforms and possibly a nod to university founder James McGillB次元官网网址檚 Celtic origins.

But in the 1950s, McGillB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 teams were colloquially referred to as the B次元官网网址淚ndiansB次元官网网址� or the B次元官网网址淪quaws.B次元官网网址� In the 1980s, several McGill teams used a stylized logo with an Indigenous man wearing a headdress.

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Voting in the referendum, conducted by McGillB次元官网网址檚 student union, ended yesterday. Twenty-eight per cent of eligible students cast ballots.

The vote is non-binding, and student union spokespeople say they will continue to pressure the administration to end behaviour they call racist and oppressive.

The Canadian Press

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