It was a rough start for the Washington football team yesterday, losing their season opener to the Texans 6 – 17 in Houston.

But before kickoff, a small group of Native Americans rallied against the Washington football team outside of NRG Stadium, calling for owner Dan Snyder to change the team’s name and mascot. According to the Associated Press, the small group gathered in front of the stadium with a variety of signs calling out the inherent racism of the team’s name:

The group of Native Americans protesting the nickname held signs voicing their distaste for it. One read “R-word = N-Word” and another said “Indians are Human Beings Not Mascots.”

“This is a racist name and it should not be used,” said Juan Mancias, who is a member of the Carrizo Tribe of Texas.

The controversy over the Washington football team’s name escalated over the preseason, with numerous high-profile politicians and public figures calling for Snyder to change the name. Ahead of this weekend’s NFL season openers, the Oneida Indian Nation—who started a massive campaign to persuade Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the name—sent a letter to radio and T.V. broadcasters nationwide, asking them not to use the team’s name.

Protest of “Redskins” taking place outside Texans game at NRG Stadium. pic.twitter.com/JYVCrQzSvs

— Ross Bolen (@WRBolen) September 7, 2014

Throughout history, this term has been used to disparage Native Americans,” the letter stated. “It is the term used by bounty hunters to describe bloody Native scalps, and it was the epithet screamed at Native Americans as they were dragged at gunpoint off their lands. No doubt, the bigotry of this word is why the team was originally given the name by its longtime owner, avowed segregationist George Preston Marshall.”

Prior to the game Sunday, a new 60-second radio ad ran on select stations in Houston and across the nation, educating listeners about why the team’s name is disparaging and should be changed.