North Dakota orders UND to keep "Sioux"

Fighting Sioux nickname bill passes N.D. Senate; Dalrymple will sign it

By Chuck HagaThe North Dakota Senate voted today to approve legislation ordering UND to retain its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo.

The vote was 28-15 with four senators absent and not voting, and came after a massive e-mail lobbying campaign that senators said heavily favored approval.

The bill, passed earlier by the House on a 65-28 vote, goes now to Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who said he will sign it.

“The ball is now in the court of the NCAA, and that’s what the people want: Take action or not take action,” Dalrymple said in a telephone interview following the vote.

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson called the bill “a state issue,” adding that “the NCAA policy (against use of American Indian names and imagery) remains unchanged.”Governor Dalrymple explains decision to sign Fighting Sioux billNorth Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple said early Friday afternoon he intends to sign HB 1263 after state senators earlier in the day voted 28-15 to approve the bill that orders the University of North Dakota to keep the nickname and a logo that shows a profile of an American Indian warrior.

Dalrymple called the Tribune Friday while traveling and said he would sign the bill because he believes the issue needs to come to a conclusion. Asked if signing the bill meant a conclusion of the controversy, he said: "It will be a conclusion of some sort. The ball is properly in the court of the NCAA. They need to be the ones to decide if they will take action."

The NCAA considers the Fighting Sioux nickname hostile to American Indians and has promised sanctions against UND if the school keeps the name.Comment:  A "conclusion"? That must be some sort of joke. This legislation guarantees there will be more lawsuits, sanctions, and political wrangling. All this while political hypocrites complain about the size and cost of government.

It's amazing how obsessive these mascot supporters are. And hysterical when you think how these people complain about minorities living in the past and dredging up old grievances. These people are much more fanatical about something that's much less important. It's almost as if they have a mental condition--call it mascot derangement syndrome (MDS).

To sum it up, the state has ordered UND to keep the nickname. The NCAA says it will sanction the school if it does. Stay tuned for more fun.

For more on the subject, see Legislators "Honor" Indians by Voting Against Them and Students "Honor" Indians by Ignoring Them.

Below:  Step on the Indian's head to show how you honor him.