General George Armstrong Custer died in 1876, but that doesn't mean we should forget his legacy of slaughtering indigenous peoples.

That's why Republican National Committee leader and GOP lobbyist Pat Rogers has condemned New Mexico governor Susana Martinez for meeting with American Indians.

In an email sent to Martinez' staff, Rogers wrote—

The state is going to hell. Col. [Allen] Weh would not have dishonored Col. Custer in this manner.

Allen Weh was a Republican candidate who ran against Martinez.

Rogers is the RNC National Committeeman for New Mexico and a recent member of the RNC Executive Committee. ProgressNow New Mexico is calling for his dismissal.

Such a blatantly racist statement against our Native people is offensive from anyone, but to come from a national GOP leader and lobbyist for some of our country's largest corporations is indefensible. These e-mails show the contempt and disrespect New Mexico's Republican leadership has for our Native people. Unless they drop Pat Rogers immediately, we can rightly assume that those organizations he speaks for, including the RNC, Modrall Sperling and his lobbying clients, feel the same way.

On the other hand, maybe Rogers was just using "redist" ironically?

[Image via AP]