"Sioux Were Silenced" weren't silenced

Forum editorial: UND, don't pander to protesters' transparent ploy to retain 'Fighting Sioux'First, they want the university’s list of selections for a new UND team name to include “North Dakota.” It’s a transparent ploy to somehow retain some iteration of “Fighting Sioux,” which has been retired.

Second, they want the immediate resignation of UND President Robert Kelley because by their assessment he has presided over a name-change process that has not been responsive to their concerns. What a crock. If ever there was a process that has been painfully long and over-the-top inclusive, it’s been the university’s name-change saga.

But none of that matters to a small, but noisy cabal of unreconstructed “Fighting Sioux” fans. No matter what the eventual choice is, no matter what sort of consensus is achieved, no matter how many voices have been part of the process, they will not accept the inevitable. It makes no sense for Kelley and the university to continue to pander to them. They had their shot, they lost. Whatever they do now is sideshow.

The arrogant contention that “the Sioux have been silenced” is so obviously false as to be cartoonish. First, the “silence” made loud headlines for years, and still is. Second, the history of the moniker debate is replete with pro-Fighting Sioux arguments, some cogent, others offensive. That the case was weak and ultimately failed is the reality that some arguers refuse to accept.The big lie:Supporters of the name and logo got the question on the June 11, 2012, ballot, and North Dakotans voted overwhelmingly (67.34 percent)–in every county, including counties that encompass reservations and other tribal lands–to retire the nickname and logo. Days later, the higher ed board voted to prohibit use of the name and logo, and said UND could not adopt new monikers until 2015. UND has been working for months, and is close to selecting one of five options.

Thus, the charge that all voices were not heard and that some voices were “silenced” is a lie. The matter has been aired as thoroughly as any in the state’s recent history. “Fighting Sioux” fans can make all the noise they want at Saturday’s rally, but they bring nothing new to the debate, nothing credible to the discussion.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see NCAA Threatens Sanctions for "Sioux" and "Sioux" Supporters = 5-Year-Olds.

NCAA threatens sanctions for "Sioux"

NCAA threatens sanctions for saying ‘Sioux’

By Bob CollinsThe NCAA has reportedly told the University of North Dakota not to let fans of the former Fighting Sioux mess with the end of the National Anthem.

The UND crowd often ends the anthem with “the home of the Sioux” rather than the “home of the brave.”

The NCAA has forced the school to abandon its Native American nickname and mascot. UND is currently weighing new nicknames.

But Forum News Service reports the NCAA has told UND President Robert Kelley that the school could face sanctions if it continues to allow the crowd its freedom of speech, although the NCAA didn’t actually characterize it that way.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see "Sioux" Supporters = 5-Year-Olds and Sammy Sioux and Sally Squaw.

"Sioux" supporters = 5-year-olds

If you haven't been following the "Fighting Sioux" story, UND's mascot lovers are now calling themselves The Sioux Were Silenced. They're campaigning for the school to use the label "University of North Dakota" rather than choose another mascot.

Do they like the unadorned name for aesthetic reasons? Hardly. Here's what's really going on:

LETTER: 'No nickname' fans sure do like 'Sioux' jerseys

By Jeff WillertOn July 25, the front-page photo accompanying a story on the prospects for the "UND/North Dakota" nickname shows supporters of that nickname wearing "Sioux" jerseys and holding "We are the Sioux forever" signs.

Meanwhile, almost no one in the photo is wearing an item of clothing that bears the actual name being considered: UND/North Dakota.

The same goes for the hockey and football games I've seen on TV. The seats are full of "Sioux" jerseys, shirts, hats and so on.

What that says to me is that the UND/North Dakota nickname supporters want no nickname in an attempt to preserve the "Sioux" nickname. Otherwise, if they are so happy with UND/North Dakota as their new nickname, why aren't they wearing UND/North Dakota clothing and holding UND/North Dakota signs?

This obviously bitter attitude of "fine, no Fighting Sioux, then we'll show you; we'll have nothing!" needs to be put to rest. It's the position that some 5-year-old kids would take.

LETTER: Petulance of some UND fans discredits university

By Andrew HertingI oppose the use of "North Dakota" as a nickname for UND, because I feel that most of the individuals who support this choice see it as a protest vote. That is to say, by choosing this nickname, students and other stakeholders are expressing opposition to the retirement of "Fighting Sioux" as the school nickname.

Essentially, they are signaling that if they cannot have their old nickname, that they would rather have no nickname at all.And:I have seen firsthand that many outside the region view UND students suspiciously due to their tenacious support of a label viewed by many as insensitive at best. The refusal to replace the name sends the message that UND students view their right to continue to use a tribal name as more important than their desire to convey respect toward the American Indian community.

Students rightly recognize that blocking the introduction of a new nickname will protect the old name from being replaced. For this reason, I urge UND student government to take a leadership role in discouraging the UND student body from backing the "North Dakota" nickname.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see Sammy Sioux and Sally Squaw and "Siouxper Drunk" = Hostile and Abusive.

Sammy Sioux and Sally Squaw

Too much energy wasted on 'Fighting Sioux'

By Jane AhlinBack in the dark ages (1967-68), consciousness-raising was big on the UND campus. The Vietnam War–claiming the lives of young Americans at an alarming rate–had caused even conservative, respectful-of-authority North Dakota kids to doubt the wisdom and trustworthiness of American leaders. A new wave of feminism also took root on the prairie, challenging patriarchal laws and double standards for sexual behavior.

Echoes of the Civil Rights movement could be seen in the civil disobedience of demonstrators, in protests and sit-ins. Along with methods of protesting, students had learned to say “black” instead of “Negro” and the “N” word was a no-no. There were rumblings that Native Americans in our state suffered discrimination not unlike that of blacks in the South, but the war and the women’s movement kept that concern from coming to the fore. At the time, the UND newspaper, The Dakota Student, dissed the war, identified with draft resistance, and angered alums, but the moniker was not questioned.

Looking back, the limitations of student understanding for racism–especially concerning Indians–are painfully obvious. Among 1968 yearbook pictures of UND’s 1967 Homecoming is a picture of “Sammy Sioux”–a white kid in a fringed outfit and headdress wearing cool sunglasses. He is standing next to a few participants in the “Sally Squaw” contest. The contestants were fraternity guys in long wigs, headbands with feathers, and “squaw” outfits. Offensive? Yes, but it didn’t stem from intentional spite toward Indians; it was cultural ignorance.

Ignorance, however, could not explain 1972. As part of “King Kold Karnival” (a UND winter festival built around hockey the way homecoming is built around football), an ice sculpture put up by a fraternity was of a topless Native American woman with a sign pointing to her breasts saying, “Lick em Sioux.” A Native American student took after the ice figure with an ax, and there was quite a dust-up.

That’s when the moniker could have and should have been changed. No question it awakened the administration to a festering problem. However, the actual decision made was to end the festival and keep the moniker.Comment:  This is an excellent example of how Indian mascots = racist and stereotypical thinking. However people position their mascots today, these mascots were originally buffoonish caricatures meant to be laughed at. They were three-dimensional jokes--living cartoon characters akin to Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, or Betty Boop.

Anything since this age of buffoonery is stupid spin. It's a feeble attempt to save the racist caricatures from the dustbin of history. It's much like the Confederate flag, which was an explicit symbol of white supremacy but now supposedly stands for Southern pride. Indian mascots used to stand for white supremacy too, and schools should abandon them for that reason alone.

Below:  Sammy Sioux.

Expel the "Siouxper Drunk" students?

Tribal leader urges UND to expel the students who wore offensive T-shirts

By Nadya FaulxDavid Archambault, chairman of the Standing Rock tribe, said that even if free speech laws protect the actions of the students, university representatives know the right thing to do.

“You feel it in your heart, not in your head, not in your mind,” he said. “You guys all feel it, that this is wrong.

“Expel them. Expel the students. Zero tolerance. If you do something like that, we won’t be meeting like this every other year.”

The names of the students have not been released, nor have any details regarding disciplinary action, per university privacy laws, said UND President Robert Kelley.

Archambault and others said they worried the lack of immediate action could send a message encouraging similar behavior in the future. He said he doesn’t “want the students to think that they can hide behind the law.”

Native American UND students are considering filing a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights, and possibly informing tribes to not send students to the university, said Leigh Jeanotte of UND’s American Indian Student Services.Native Sun News: Indian students at UND protest racist t-shirts

By Brandon EcoffeyThe protest followed a release of demands that were made two days prior on May 15. The Native American Student on campus demanded that the university officially denounce the now-retired Fighting Sioux logo, make racial sensitivity training mandatory for incoming students and ban the Fighting Sioux logo from all academic settings. The demand to ban the logo from academic settings results from the continued use of the mascot imagery by UND staff according to students.

They would also ask that these institutional rules be enforced by a Zero Tolerance policy. That draft presented the Native Students reads: “The University of North Dakota practices a policy of Zero Tolerance of the use of and display of the retired “Fighting Sioux” logo. The university enacts a policy of Zero Tolerance for harassment, discrimination, promotion, or racial slurs in association with the retired “Fighting Sioux” logo on campus, off-campus, and in association with UND events both on and off-campus.” The proposed policy would go on to say,” The University of North Dakota practices a policy of Zero Tolerance of the use of the retired logo in the educational environment, campus activities, UND events and activities on campus, within campus premises, and in the community. It is committed to administering appropriate disciplinary action and holding students, staff/faculty, alumni, and affiliates accountable for violating the policy of Zero Tolerance.”

“When we walk in to administrative offices and see some faculty wearing the logo,” said Emmy Scott, one of the students who helped organize last Friday’s protest. Scott would go on to say that she feels that the UND students who were shown wearing the Siouxper Drunk t-shirts should be expelled from campus.

Although the University did condemn the t-shirts through statement released by President Kelley, some in the Native American community on campus were left disappointed.

Scott and other Native students felt that the statements made by UND officials reiterating that the Springfest event was not an official college function and the statements given by President Kelley addressing the Siouxper Drunk incident were largely for public relations purposes that catered to those who support the return of the Fighting Sioux Mascot and failed to address the underlying issues of discrimination.Tribal Leaders Demand UND To Take Action On Racism"I don't think there's any question in anyone's mind that it's offensive ... offensive and racist," university spokesman Peter Johnson told Campus Reform. "We see it as a highly unfortunate situation, a terrible situation that connects to our needs to provide better education about sensitivity issues."

Leigh Jeanotte, member of the University of North Dakota's American Indian Student Services, told Forum News Service Native American students at the university are considering filing a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights, and possible "informing tribes to not send students to the university."

"Students are at a point where they don't have a lot of options," Jeanotte said.Comment:  I probably wouldn't expel these students for a first offense. Give them a lesser punishment, maybe a suspension or sensitivity training, and warn them not to do it again. A second offense may be grounds for expulsion.

For more on the subject, see Natives Protest "Siouxper Drunk" T-Shirts and "Siouxper Drunk" = Hostile and Abusive.

Natives protest "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts

Native students and others planned a walk to protest the "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts at UND. Before the walk:

UND administrators to attend Walk for Change protest after shirt incidentUND Provost Tom DiLorenzo, Vice President for Student Affairs Lori Reesor and other university administrators will participate in a protest walk held by American Indian students, the university said Thursday.

The walk was planned when UND officials did not take immediate action after students and others wore offensive T-shirts to a Saturday event popular with students.

Since then, UND officials, including President Robert Kelley, have condemned the shirts and said they would investigate the incident.

On Thursday, the university said administrators will attend the protest “to show our support and allegiance in combating prejudice and intolerance in our community, state, and world.”‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-Shirt Spurs UND Students WalkForChange

By Vincent SchillingIn response to the “Siouxper Drunk” T-shirts worn by University of North Dakota students last Saturday as part of a Springfest celebration UND Native students have organized a #WalkforChange at the university to be held Friday at 11 a.m. to voice opposition to a hostile UND environment faced by Native students.

In addition to the #WalkForChange, Native UND students that are facilitating the event released several public statements demanding change from UND administrators as well as an outline for fostering cultural awareness at the university.

“The Fighting Sioux logo is supposed to be retired, but it is everywhere,” said Margaret Emmy Scott, a Political Science and American Indian Studies major at UND. “Whether you go to the registrar to pay your bills or to change your classes, people representing the administration are wearing the logo. Professors wear it, faculty, staff and more. We need this to be banned in the school atmosphere. That is the root of the trouble.”

In the release sent to ICTMN by Scott, the sentiment of the students is clear—they are fighting against what they consider to be a hostile environment for too long.

“The distress and hostile learning environment American Indian (AI) students endure is a form of psychological violence, predicated and perpetuated on notions of AI students being overly sensitive. This mentality presents a slippery slope as stereotypes lead to the dehumanization of a people and ultimately, permit acts of violence against those populations who are portrayed as the lesser.

“The continuous and overt forms of disrespect have negatively-impacted UND and its American Indian students. The ‘Sioux-per drunk’ T-shirts were specifically designed to target American Indian students and in itself is an act of discrimination. The UND students that wore these t-shirts have and continue to use social media, Facebook and Twitter to reinforce the notion of premeditated actions and adamant denial of wrongdoing.”

The outcome

Demanding change at UND: 100 protesters march against ‘racist’ T-shirts

By Anna BurlesonUniversity of North Dakota administrators were among about 100 people marching through campus Friday to protest a recent racially insensitive event, but that didn’t prevent them from being called out.

Emmy Scott, former president of the Indian Studies Association, a student group, said administrators were using the march as a publicity stunt and released a list of demands she and other students want the university to meet by December.

“I’m glad that they’re here, but in a lot of ways, it feels like it’s a PR stunt and I want them to know that we are not a photo-op,” she said.

The demands include selecting a new nickname and prohibiting students from wearing clothing or other gear bearing the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.Alas...proving the need for the walk is this posting:UND student tweets that today's #WalkForChange event was over-reaction: "Boohoohoo one little t-shirt and they re-enact the damn trail of tears like we killed their family on springfest" <- this ignorance and license to be overtly racist and offensive is why we've got to keep the pressure on at UND and the GrandForks community to diffuse the palpable tension and division over not adopting a new nickname/logo and disciplining offending students.
Comment:  One little t-shirt that encapsulates centuries of oppression and injustice, you mean. And what amount of racism would be enough to get you to criticize it rather than defend it?

If there's a threshold for the "get over it" crowd, I haven't seen it. Which leads us to conclude that these naysayers are racists themselves or "friends of racism," which amounts to the same thing.

For more on the subject, see "Siouxper Drunk" = Hostile and Abusive.

"Siouxper Drunk" = hostile and abusive

Several commenters blame the "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirt incident on UND's Fighting Sioux nickname and mascot. Rightly so, I'd say.

Super Dumb at UND: It's Hard to Shake the Racism You've Enabled For So Long[A]s recent events show, these things never go away without resistance from nostalgic students and alumni who profess the name and image aren't racist. "It's a tribute to Native Americans," is a typical argument from those who'd keep names and imagery that many Natives find objectionable, whether it's the Fighting Sioux or the Washington Redskins.

But it's hard to claim a bunch of white kids wearing "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts is a tribute to anything. This illustrates a point sometimes lost in debates over Native mascots: The players, coaches and school administrators (or in the case of the Washington Redskins, team brass and owner Dan Snyder) may sincerely feel they do not bear American Indians any ill will. But they're only part of the story--a team name or mascot doesn't just belong to the team and its authorized representatives. It also belongs to the fans. And by using a mascot that is based on someone's racial identity, the organization is setting the stage for fan behavior that is undoubtedly racist.

"Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts, fans attending games in redface, opposing fans comparing a football game to the Trail of Tears, restaurants touting team pride with talk of "scalping" and "firewater"--these are all things that fans do, unsanctioned by the school or pro team they profess to like. And they're all racist.

And they could all be avoided if the organizations would do the responsible thing and abandon their Native team names and imagery.After offensive T-shirt incident, UND administration tries to respond to demand for action

By Anna BurlesonThe University of North Dakota has held plenty of events promoting diversity, but Damien Webster, a senior majoring in Indian studies, said the only time he has seen big crowds is when student attendance was mandatory.

“There needs to be a lot of education across the board,” he said. “We all stick to our own and we need to open up.”

He is among many American Indian students on campus asking the administration to mandate sensitivity training and toughen consequences for racially insensitive acts, such as the “Siouxper drunk” T-shirts worn Saturday at an event popular with students.

It was the latest of several high-profile incidents over the years that have embarrassed the university and upset Indians on campus.And:At UND, many Native Americans have long made the connection between racially insensitive incidents and the university’s Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, which were retired at the end of 2012 because the NCAA considers them offensive. Indians on campus continue to ask the administration to denounce the nickname and logo.

That argument has echoed far beyond North Dakota. Recently, the popular animated comedy show “Family Guy” had a throw-away gag where “Drunky the Indian,” a fictional mascot from “Dakota University,” appeared at a college fair, yelling out “Look how drunk I am! This is important for sports!”

Johnson said UND has no control over clothing and other merchandise bearing the nickname and logo that were manufactured before the university forbade it. Some of that merchandise continues to be sold. “There’s nothing we can do about that,” he said.

The administration did seem to anticipate some of the recent troubles, though.

It decided to hire the diversity executive last year, months before the latest incident. According to Johnson, Sandra Mitchell’s job when she starts in a few months will be to devise a plan to establish concrete ways to make UND a more inclusive campus.

Does the use of Native American mascots lead to racist debacles like ‘Siouxper Drunk’?

By Abby PhillipThe episode comes just two years after the university retired its Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo in the wake of intense NCAA pressure. But after more than 80 years of using the mascot, it is perhaps no surprise that these old habits are dying an embarrassingly painful death.

North Dakotans were dragged kicking and screaming to the realization that it was time to retire their mascot. The NCAA determined in 2005 that “hostile and abusive” mascots such as UND’s needed to become a thing of the past; the State of North Dakota sued on behalf of the North Dakota state board of higher education and UND to keep the “Fighting Sioux,” and the state legislature passed a law forbidding the school from retiring the name. The state’s law was eventually reversed.And:The “Siouxper Drunk” controversy is just one of several recent incidents on the UND campus that prompted a group of Native students to write a scathing letter that blamed the university for being “complicit” in acts of racial insensitivity on campus, and for failing to put forward concrete solutions.

“The problem,” the letter said, “is clearly systemic.”

But the incident highlights the difficulty of policing “appropriate” uses of Native imagery and names. Can sports teams claim to use them without racist intent, but still distance themselves from the people who do?Thanks for a perfect example of the "hostile and abusive" environment the NCAA criticized, #SiouxperDrunk students. Case closed on how the harm goes beyond the playing field--how it permeates the student body, the alumni, the entire community.

More charges of racism

Drunk College Students Mock Native Americans In Most Offensive Way Possible

By Smriti SinhaThe behavior exemplified by the UND students, coupled with the reappropriation of Native American cultural traditions common in entertainment and fashion, highlights a continued ignorance and insensitivity among Americans regarding Native Americans. Last year, for example, an Alabama high school put up a big banner saying, "Hey Indians, Get Ready to Leave in a Trail of Tears, Round 2."

These types of references aren't clever, they're not cute and they're certainly not funny.“Siouxper Drunk” T-Shirts Helped Fighting Sioux Nickname Opponents

By Dr. Erich LongieAs far as racism goes, it doesn’t get much uglier than the “Siouxper drunk” T-shirts incident that happened at UND over the weekend. As proof of the extreme racist nature of the incident, conservative, talk show hosts, bloggers, and other non-Indians are coming forward to vigorously and stridently defend this shameful and disgusting incident. In typical fashion, they will try to drown out voices who disagree with them.

"Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts at UND

Writer Ruth Hopkins was the first to flag this incident. It ended up getting covered by the media nationwide:

‘Siouxper Drunk’ Shirts Worn at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest

By Ruth HopkinsOn Saturday, May 10, 2014, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota man posted this picture to my Facebook wall:The photo was taken at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest earlier that same day. In it, non-Native UND students are wearing shirts that say ‘Siouxper Drunk.’ Beneath it, a stereotypical ‘Indian head’ reminiscent of the retired Fighting Sioux logo is pictured drinking from a beer bong. What followed the post were a string of comments from understandably infuriated Natives, many of whom were from the Spirit Lake Nation, the Dakota Tribe located closest to the UND campus.And:The tiny town of Whiteclay, Nebraska, located just over the border from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, rakes in millions of dollars for beer companies every year by profiting off the misery of Lakota addicted to alcohol. These people who are sick live short lives full of pain and suffering. Families are destroyed. Now tell me again, how is ‘Siouxper Drunk’ funny?

The fact that a whole group of students were able to walk around UND’s Springfest in ‘Siouxper Drunk’ t-shirts without being stopped speaks volumes. Why would faculty, staff, students, and community members choose to ignore such blatant racism? Didn’t anyone have the good sense to feel embarrassed or ashamed of such a discriminatory display? By allowing such open, aggressive hostility against Natives, you are complicit. If you disapprove of such behavior, stand up and be counted.Hopkins also tweeted the following:

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
'Siouxper Drunk' t-shirts depict one of the worst, most harmful stereotypes about Native people that there is. #UND #Appropriation #Racism

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
There's beer companies making millions thru the tiny rez border town of Whiteclay off the misery of Natives. How is 'Siouxper Drunk' funny?

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Europeans introduced alcohol to the Indigenous population in America. It was used to subdue & assimilate Natives. #UNDSiouxperDrunk #racism

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Local North Dakota media refuses to run posts or a story about the racist 'Siouxper Drunk' tees worn at UND's Springfest. #Complicit

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Native mascots personify the widespread systemic racism against Native people that still prevails in the subconscious of western society.

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
#UND, an apology for allowing 'Siouxper Drunk' tees to be worn at your Springfest isn't good enough. Implement a zero tolerance policy.

Media coverage takes off

Sometimes these protests take off in the media and sometimes they don't. This one did. The following was one of the earliest reports on the story:

UND Students Wear "Siouxper Drunk" Shirts to SpringfestA group of students at the University of North Dakota are catching grief for wearing shirts that, some say, display "blatant racism." Several photos of the t-shirts have been making the rounds on social media following this weekend's Springfest at UND.

The group photo shows ten students in their black, green and white shirts. The shirts say "Siouxper Drunk" with a logo underneath, similar to the retired Fighting Sioux logo, pictured drinking from a beer bong. Prior to Springfest, someone in the group even tweets "Our Springfest shirts will make the news I just know it lol."

UND student, Frank Sage says that many students coming into Indian Student Services on Monday were upset by the incident. Sage says there was no excuse for it. He called it very degrading and demeaning. We are still waiting for comment from UND Administration on whether the students involved in the incident could face any disciplinary action.

A blog on "Thelastrealindians.com" says, "The 'Drunken Indian' caricature is one of the worst stereotypes about Native people that there is." Writer Ruth Hopkins goes on to say, "Alcoholism is a serious issue in Indian country and it's nothing to laugh about." She cites a CDC statistic that liver disease and cirrhosis is the #5 cause of death among Native Americans and says 1 in 10 Native American deaths are alcohol-related.

People on social media are not only bothered by the student's choice to wear the shirts, but are also coming down on CustomInk.com, which is apparently where the shirts were made. CustomInk released the following statement on Monday:

"We are very sorry about this offensive design. CustomInk's business is focused on bringing people together in positive ways. We handle hundreds of thousands of custom t-shirt designs each year and have people review them to catch problematic content, including anything that's racially or ethnically objectionable, but we missed this one. We apologize for any pain or offense caused by this shirt, and we will continue to improve our review processes to make them better." --CustomInkUND president condemns T-shirts with Indian head

By Associated PressYoung people who wore T-shirts with a caricature of the University of North Dakota’s former Indian head logo drinking out of a beer bong perpetuated a derogatory and harmful stereotype of American Indians and should not be accepted, the school’s president said Monday.

The shirts that were stamped with the words “Siouxper Drunk” apparently were worn for an annual spring party that attracts students and others and is not associated with the university. Kelley said he was appalled by “the poor judgment and lack of understanding” that led people to create and wear the shirts.

“The message on the shirts demonstrated an unacceptable lack of sensitivity and a complete lack of respect for American Indians and all members of the community,” Kelley said in a statement.And more coverage on some widely-read sites:

Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with ‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-shirts

North Dakota students offend with racist “Siouxper Drunk” T-shirts

North Dakota Students' "Siouxper Drunk" Shirts Are Super Racist

Pro-nickname banner at UND

UND sorority in trouble for pro-nickname banner during Indian-themed Time Out Week

By Anna BurlesonUND's Gamma Phi Beta sorority is in hot water again for what is being seen as anti-Indian behavior.

The international chapter of the group has issued an apology for hanging a pink banner that read, "You can take away our mascot but you can't take away our pride!" to celebrate UND playing in the NCAA Frozen Four tournament.

The house, which sits next to the American Indian Student Services building, hung the banner on an outside wall on Monday and people were quick to react via social media before it was taken down the same day.

UND President Robert Kelley issued a statement saying he was disappointed and that the timing of its display, at the start an Indian-themed educational event called Time Out Week, demonstrated a lack of sensitivity.

Someone on Facebook commented:Really? Especially during Time Out Week of all things. Then again can't say I am really surprised since this is the sorority that had the Cowboy and Indian party a while back. Perhaps they should take in some of our events?

Comment:  I guess the main problems were the timing and the location of the banner. I'm not sure people would've objected to it in another context.

Phil Jackson: Retire "Fighting Sioux"

Alumnus Phil Jackson supports retirement of UND nickname

By Associated PressUniversity of North Dakota alumnus and NBA legend Phil Jackson says he supports the retirement of UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname.

Jackson tells the Williston Herald that “if it’s offensive to people, we need to change it, gracefully.”Comment:  For more on the "Fighting Sioux," see Research Proves Mascots Are Harmful and Even Sioux Voted Against "Fighting Sioux."

Research proves mascots are harmful

The University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux mascot is almost dead and gone. But in a two-part posting, Adrienne Keene offers a good summary of the arguments against Indian mascots. Note that these arguments apply not only to mascots but to Halloween costumes, hipsters in headdresses, and related stereotypes:

The Fighting Sioux are back: My passionate plea against Indian mascotsBut mascots are HONORING the bravery and fierceness of Indians!
No. They're not. Honoring someone does not consist of taking their culture, reducing it to a one-dimensional racist stereotype, and representing them however you see fit. It's about power and who has the right to represent whom. Also, this cartoon helps. I don't consider a dude in warpaint and feathers making a mockery of my culture honoring. At all. Also, not all Indians are "fierce" and "brave," just like not all white (or Black or Latino) people are "<insert stereotype here>".I'm Irish (Norwegian, Catholic) and don't get offended by the Fighting Irish (Vikings, Padres)!
That's because there is not an active system of colonialism and oppression marginalizing the Irish, "Vikings," or Catholics in our country. Native peoples are still living under colonial rule--take a look at stats from any area of society, and you'll see Native people at the bottom. I'm sorry if you feel "oppressed" as a catholic or a viking--but you still have a helluva lot of white privilege that kinda negates it. Sorry.

What's next, animal rights activists telling us we can't use ANIMALS as mascots?! Where does it end?!
Yeah, cause Native people (PEOPLE) are on the same level as animals? Thanks buddy. Thanks a lot.

What about the Wizards? Pirates? Cowboys?
Um, mythical beings or occupations are not the same as an entire race of people.Fighting Sioux Part 2: The ScienceCollege students were shown images of Chief Wahoo ("bad image"), Chief Illiniwek, and the Haskell Indian Nations University Indian ("good" images), as well as an image from AIGC's campaign (an actual good image), and then asked to generate "possible selves"--looking forward to the future and how they see themselves. Those primed with the mascot images (even the good ones), generated far less achievement-related possible selves than those with the control or AIGC image. Basically, looking at a mascot limits the way Native students see themselves succeeding.

...and a horrible follow-up, Fryburg did another study that compared white students, and in all the areas where Native students' self esteem, community worth, and possible selves went down, white students went up. No active oppression in American society, right? White students directly benefit from racism against Native students.

In sum: Scientific research shows that mascots and Indian stereotypes, regardless of if they are "good" images (Pocahontas, The Fighting Sioux) or "bad" images (Chief Wahoo), they cause depressed self esteem, decreased community worth, and decreased possible selves--even when students say the images don't bother them. And images are worse than words.

So still want to tell me how the Fighting Sioux are no big deal and I should get over it?More arguments against mascots

The Native American Mascot: Tribute or Stereotype?

By Sam SommersIn follow-up studies, the same researchers again presented high school respondents with various passages and images related to Native Americans. After reading about mascots (and seeing Chief Wahoo), Native American respondents scored lower on an individual self-esteem questionnaire, as well as a measure of their sense of community worth (i.e., feelings of respect and a sense of value towards Native Americans). In fact, scores for self- and community-worth were even lower among students who had seen Chief Wahoo than they were among those who read about the common depiction of Native American communities as suffering from high rates of alcoholism, suicide, and teen pregnancy.

Perhaps most problematically, in a final study a variety of Native American mascots were shown to different groups of college student respondents. Afterward, students were asked to write about what their life would be like in one year. Those Native American students exposed to mascots were significantly less likely to use achievement-related language in anticipating their future than were students in a control condition. That is, having seen and read about mascots, Native Americans became less likely to make achievement-related predictions for themselves regarding good grades, graduating, finding a job, etc.

The data from these studies are consistent with the idea that these mascots are often viewed positively, even by members of Native American communities. At the same time, they are also consistent with the conclusion that there are negative psychological consequences to such mascots, even if those who experience these consequences can't or won't articulate them when asked.

(And, of course, there are yet other questions to be asked about the effects of such mascots. For example, to what extent do they attenuate versus exaggerate racial stereotypes held by White people? In a separate investigation published in 2011, a different set of researchers concluded that Native American mascots activated negative, but not positive, stereotypes among Whites.)

In the end, these data pose a problem for claims that these mascots are honorific and likely to enhance the self-esteem of Native Americans. Even when that is (or has recently become) the motivation behind a team name, such good intent is not sufficient to bring about good outcomes. As the authors of the paper described above explain, "American Indian mascots do not have negative consequences because their content or meaning is inherently negative. Rather... [the mascots] remind American Indians of the limited ways in which others see them."Marketing the Native American Stereotype

By Rhonda LeValdoThe sole argument proponents have is that these mascots honor us by keeping our history alive. We cannot have such low standards for educating our youth. Right now, could any student name five tribes? Name the President that killed the most Native Americans in the largest mass hanging in this country’s history? Or name one boarding school? Native mascots don’t teach that history, so let’s stop using that argument. If there is such a burning desire to honorably keep Native history alive, invite a Native into your classroom to share that history.And:There are some people who do not find mascots and other Native stereotypes in media interesting or important, but Native American children have been increasingly learning about themselves from outside their own families and clans. Well over half of the enrolled tribal population lives in cities, away from reservation homelands. These children, all our children, grow up having to deal with the stereotypes thrown at them--not simply from commercial sources, but social ones. We cannot expect a Native child to deal with questions, taunts, insults, and slurs, not just from educated adults, but their own peers. Yet this is the situation our children are faced with. For generations, Native children have stood alone, with no one to fend them, and nothing for them to use in defense- both on the playground and in the classroom. Of course we cannot forget there are some people in their own families who have deemed these problems--mascots and other stereotyped Native media– uninteresting, unimportant, and not worth our attention. Think about who it is hurting and how it will have an impact on the future.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see Even Sioux Voted Against "Fighting Sioux" and North Dakotans Vote to Retire "Fighting Sioux."

Even Sioux voted against "Fighting Sioux"

Residents in reservation county voted against Fighting Sioux nicknameResidents in the North Dakota county that encompasses most of the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation finally had their say on the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname.

They want it gone.

State voters decided overwhelmingly Tuesday to dump the controversial nickname and Indian head logo deemed hostile and abusive by the NCAA. Sixty-seven percent voted "yes" on a measure to retire the moniker.

Nickname supporters have long complained about the Standing Rock Tribal Council's refusal to hold a reservation-wide vote on the issue. The end result Tuesday in Sioux County was a 184-159 vote to dump the name.So much for the claim that outsiders--activists and other Indians--have ignored the wishes of North Dakota's two Sioux tribes. Nope. Those Indians don't want the nickname either.

UND fans are ‘Still Proud’ after Tuesday’s nickname vote

By Chuck HagaTuesday’s vote on whether the University of North Dakota should keep or retire the Sioux name resulted in an overwhelming statement that it should go. Every county but one voted to signal, if in many cases with regret and lingering anger toward the NCAA, that it’s time for the university, its teams and its fans to move on.

The majority for dropping the nickname exceeded 70 percent in Cass, Burleigh and Grand Forks counties and topped 60 percent in most of the rest. The vote on both reservations was for the story to end.

But Archie Fool Bear, nickname champion at Standing Rock, and Eunice Davidson, his counterpart at Spirit Lake, insist they will go on with their campaign for an initiated measure to engrave the nickname in the state Constitution.

“I will continue,” Fool Bear said Wednesday. “I’m still proud of who I am, still proud to be Sioux. I’m not going to go away.Comment:  The aptly named Fool Bear still doesn't get it. The vote wasn't about Sioux pride. The Lakota Sioux who voted against the nickname, and all the Indians who oppose it, don't think badly of the Sioux. They object to Indians being characterized as fighting-mad savages.

Rather, they object to the war whoops, tomahawk chops, and "smallpox" chants that accompany the savage stereotype. They're proud of what Indians have achieved in science, business, the law, medicine, education, the arts, and religion--not just what they've achieved by attacking and killing people. Duhhh.

Indeed, other Indians probably have more pride than Fool Bear in the Sioux's achievements. The only achievement he's proud of is the Sioux ability to fight. If he's proud of any other aspect of Sioux life, he's keeping quiet about it.

Fool Bear can continue fighting like his cartoon version of the Sioux, but he doesn't have much chance of winning. He'd have to get the same people who turned down this initiative to reverse themselves and vote for a constitutional amendment. The amendment would have to pass a court review. And UND would have to successfully endure the NCAA's sanctions.

Any of those things could happen, but none of them are likely. The odds of all three happening are very unlikely.

For more on the "Fighting Sioux," see North Dakotans Vote to Retire "Fighting Sioux" and NCAA Punished UND for "Fighting Sioux."

North Dakotans vote to retire "Fighting Sioux"

ND voters: Retire the Fighting Sioux nickname

By Chuck HagaNorth Dakotans signaled Tuesday they’re ready to say goodbye to UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname, overwhelmingly favoring a ballot measure that would allow the university to drop the name.

With 84 percent of precincts reporting, the “Yes” vote on Measure 4 was leading the “No” vote by 67.64 percent to 32.36 percent. The “Yes” votes totaled 90,216, the “No” votes 43,151.

With all 27 precincts reporting in Grand Forks County, “Yes” had 5,426 votes to 2,276 for “No,” or 70.45 percent to 29.55 percent. The “Yes” vote carried by decisive margins in the state’s major counties—and carried Sioux County, home of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, by 184 votes to 159.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” said Sean Johnson, Bismarck, spokesman for the group that sought the referendum on the nickname.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see NCAA Punishes UND for "Fighting Sioux" and UND Foes Chant "Smallpox Blankets!"

NCAA punishes UND for "Fighting Sioux"

Incredibly, the battle to retire the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname is still going on. I haven't reported every twist and turn, but here's the latest:

NCAA hands out punishment to North Dakota for use of nickname and image

By Geoff DischerThe NCAA doled out its punishments to North Dakota for resuming use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo in a letter addressed to the school’s provost, Dr. Paul LeBel, earlier Wednesday.

The most concern in hockey terms is that UND won’t be able to host a women’s hockey NCAA quarterfinal game.

According to the full release of the letter from the NCAA, further punishments for North Dakota include not being able to host any NCAA championship round. If North Dakota is selected as the lower-seeded team in any championship, the Sioux would be designated as the “home team” but would have to play their matchup at the higher seeded team’s venue.Comment:  For more on the Fighting Sioux, see UND Foes Chant "Smallpox Blankets" and "Sioux Suck."

UND foes chant "Smallpox blankets!"

College hockey: Duluth fans again warned over 'offensive' chants

For the second time in three years, fans' chants at Bulldog hockey games draw complaints. This time, North Dakota players are targeted.

By: Christa LawlerStudent season-ticket holders for University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey games were warned last week to clean up their acts after complaints to the athletic department about racist chants during UMD’s series against the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Feb. 10-11.

“There were some reports on some chants coming from the student section that certainly would have been considered inappropriate,” Athletic Director Bob Nielson said. “We decided it was an opportunity to reinforce our policy … to focus on cheering for our team and avoid comments that are considered inappropriate.”

Nielson sent the students a letter dated Feb. 17 that warned “any profane, racial, sexist, or abusive comments or actions directed at officials, opposing players or teams will be grounds for removal from the arena” and could result in a forfeiture of season tickets.

North Dakota fan Chad Czmowski said he was adjacent to the student section during Saturday night’s game when students began chanting “smallpox blankets” and what he described as other racist phrases and actions directed at the university’s mascot. Czmowski said other derogatory statements were specifically directed at the goalie’s mother.Three days later:

Duluth hockey fans make public apology for chants, take vow of good cheer

By Kevin PatesRepresentatives of the University of Minnesota Duluth student cheering section for men’s hockey games say they’re working to improve their image after stepping over the line of good taste two weeks ago in games at Amsoil Arena.

Racist chants directed toward UMD’s opponent, the University of North Dakota, which has Fighting Sioux as a nickname, were officially admonished last week by UMD Athletic Director Bob Nielson in an open letter to the students.

UMD junior Eric Fastner, 21, a political science-economics major from Woodbury, Minn., helped craft a letter of apology Wednesday and helped set up a web site where students could sign a pledge, agreeing to not use foul, sexist, racial, obscene or abusive language at UMD games.

“We understand we crossed the line with our chants and that that wasn’t right,” said Fastner, who has had UMD student season hockey tickets for three years. “We thought an apology would be a good place to start to let the community know how we feel.Comment:  Thanks for proving the NCAA right, idiots. Mascots create a hostile and abusive environment and this is it.

You're publicly advocating the death of a race. This is why Americans think of Indians as pests to be exterminated, not as people with meaningful lives and rights.

For more on the Fighting Sioux, see "Sioux Suck" and Mascot Foes Want to Destroy Lakota?!

Below:  Not the UND mascot, but roughly what UND's opponents have in mind.

"Sioux suck"

A writer goes into a long history of the phrase "Sioux suck," but comes to the wrong conclusion.

COMMENTARY: Anti-UND banter at Bison rally? Really?

UND may have put away its lightning-rod symbols, but Saturday’s victory chant by some Bison faithful suggests the rivalry is still a ready-to-ignite ember.

By: Kevin SchnepfIt was 1990 and the North Dakota State football team had just won a national championship in Florence, Ala. Amongst the celebration, a rarely-used senior offensive lineman was handed the microphone to say a few words.

It was obvious he did not prepare a speech. Struggling to find the words, he blurted in a bit of a panic: “Sioux suck.”

Really? You’re nearly 1,000 miles away from Fargo, your team just wins a national championship, and that’s all you can think of to say.

Flash forward 22 years in Frisco, Texas—where NDSU won its first national championship since its 1990 trip to Florence. As the Bison team marched toward its locker room before the game, the three-block long line of fans chanted “Here We Go Bison, Here We Go.” In between the cheers, one fan yelled “Sioux suck.”

Really? Your team is about to play for a national title and that’s all you can think of? Never mind that your team hasn’t played the Sioux (I mean North Dakota) since 2003.

Later that same day when fans gathered in front of the Fargodome to welcome home their team, Gov. Jack Dalrymple started the same cheer “Here We Go Bison, Here We Go.” Little did the Governor realize that the chant must mysteriously spark a certain impulse to be insulting.

As if on cue, a small group of supporters started yelling “Sioux suck.”

Really? Your team just won its first Division I championship and that’s all you can think of. Never mind that your football team may not be playing the Sioux (I mean, North Dakota) for at least another decade.

We shouldn’t be shocked by all of this. The chant, considered even more derogatory because of the Indian heritage, has been uttered thousands of times during the 109-year-long Bison-Sioux (I mean, North Dakota) football rivalry.

And there’s probably no way for school officials to prevent it when the schools’ men’s basketball teams play each other a week from today in Grand Forks.

But why do certain Bison fanatics insist on chanting the phrase when their team isn’t even playing UND, when their team is celebrating something much bigger than a win over their rival, or when their team isn’t even scheduled to play them in football again?

Perhaps the only answer to that is this: The rivalry—much like the Sioux nickname itself—will not disappear. Perhaps those chants we keep hearing are signals that people still crave for the days of a football game between the Bison and Sioux (I mean, North Dakota).Comment:  It's impossible to say for sure, but I'm guessing there's a deeper reason for the persistence of the phrase "Sioux suck." I'd say it's because mascots in general and "Fighting Sioux" in particular have legitimized the idea of insulting Indians.

Many Americans are ignorant of or actively dislike Indians, deeming them savage, drunk, greedy, and so forth. Mascots such as the "Fighting Sioux" give them a socially acceptable way of venting their spleen. Sure, part of their antipathy is directed at the UND sports team(s), but the other part is directed toward Indians as a minority.

For those who don't feel negatively about Indians, the "Sioux sucks" chant may create such feelings. It's called desensitizing. If you repeat an insult often enough, it becomes the reality in your mind. People weren't born thinking the Polish were "dumb Pollacks" and the Vietnamese were "gooks." These beliefs became semi-acceptable through repetition.

In any case, "Sioux Suck" shows the problem with mascots. Even if the school rigorously controls what appears at games, it can't control the fans' thoughts. Fans feel free to attack the "Sioux," calling them names and wishing them ill. That's okay for animals and occupations, but not for a real group of people. Minorities already have enough problems without fans announcing that they "suck."

For more on the Fighting Sioux, see Mascot Foes Want to Destroy Lakota?! and Origin of "Fighting Sioux."

Below:  "Sammy Sioux," an early version of the Fighting Sioux mascot.

Mascot foes want to destroy Lakota?!

Activist joins nickname defenders

Marilyn Schoenberg plans to help with petition drive, recruiting helpers

By Chuck HagaAs Fighting Sioux nickname supporters at the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Sioux reservations prepare to launch their petition drive to force a statewide vote on the issue, they’re reaching out for help from people like Marilyn Schoenberg, 63, of Hebron, N.D.

The retired teacher and frequent activist on social issues is not American Indian and has no direct connection to UND. But she has been to Standing Rock “about 10 times” in the past two years to confer with Archie Fool Bear and other nickname supporters, most recently about circulating petitions in the southwestern part of the state.

The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe and its pro-nickname Committee for Understanding and Respect, supported by Fool Bear and others at Standing Rock, announced two weeks ago that they would seek a referendum on the Legislature’s repeal of a law mandating UND’s continued use of the name and logo.

The nickname supporters said they also plan to seek a constitutional amendment to carve the Fighting Sioux name and logo firmly into state law, and they have solicited volunteer and financial help through the committee’s website, SavetheFightingSioux.com.Are you really an activist if you're trying to protect the status quo from change? Anyway, here's more on Schoenberg the so-called activist:She attended State Board of Higher Education meetings, spoke for the nickname during hearings at the Legislature, and drafted and circulated a support petition in Hebron. She also wrote a letter to several newspapers citing “seven reasons to support the nickname.”

First among those reasons, she said, was respect for tradition.

“My mother was a member of the State Historical Society,” she said. “She was of the Germans from Russia, and we had such marvelous reunions because of the pride we have in how our ancestors came over from Russia and left everything behind but made a new life here.

“Now they (nickname opponents) are trying to destroy the tradition and pride of the Sioux people,” which she believes are reflected in and honored by UND’s nickname and logo.Comment:  The aptly named CUR committee is slinking through the slime of ugly arguments. It's trying to resurrect the dying "Fighting Sioux" mascot by fabricating the motivations of its opponents.

Yeah, hundreds of Native organizations and tens of thousands of Indians oppose the mascot because they hate the Lakota. Not because they've spent decades fighting every kind of racism and stereotyping against Indians, but because they want the Lakota weak, helpless, possibly dead and gone. There's no other conceivable reason, so that must be it.

That must be why these activists spent decades trying to eliminate the University of Illinois's Chief Illiniwek: to destroy the tradition and pride of the Illinois Indians. Even though 1) these Indians no longer exist; 2) their nearest relatives, the Peoria Indians of Oklahoma, opposed the mascot; and 3) the dancing clown in the chief's headdress had nothing to do with Illinois culture or history. Why do these activists hate Indians so much?!

This also explains why activists oppose Chief Wahoo and the Washington Redskins--because they're trying to destroy those venerable traditions. You know, the traditions of the Wahoo and Redskins tribes, two of the 565 federally recognized tribes. The actual Chief Wahoo and a bunch of nameless "dirty redskins" are rolling in their graves over the loss of their pride and dignity.

How stupid can you get? Have I mocked Schoenberg's ignorance and idiocy enough, or shall I go on?

For more on the Fighting Sioux, see NCAA Says No to N.D. Officials and Origin of "Fighting Sioux."

NCAA says no to N.D. officials

NCAA tells N.D. delegation no budging on Fighting Sioux nickname settlement

With the NCAA confirming that it will not budge from a lawsuit settlement requiring UND to terminate its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple said he will ask the Legislature, meeting in special session in November, to delegate authority back to the State Board of Higher Education, which authorized a change. “I’m certain the board will revert to its former position,” said Grant Shaft, a delegation member and the board's president.

By Chuck HagaThe end apparently has come for the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

After a two-hour meeting with NCAA officials here today, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said the association will not budge, and he will ask the North Dakota Legislature in November to delegate authority over the nickname issue back to the State Board of Higher Education.

“It’s clear that the NCAA will not modify the terms of the settlement agreement and will stand by its provisions,” Dalrymple said immediately following the meeting at NCAA headquarters.

He said that he was persuaded that retaining the nickname could cause serious harm to the university and its athletic program.Comment:  For more on the "Fighting Sioux," see Great Plains Tribes Oppose Mascots and North Dakota Breaks Its Word.

Origin of "Fighting Sioux"

How the nickname came to be

By Chuck Haga“For years we have been pursued by a massive Bison in all Aggie publicity,” an anonymous student—quite possibly Austin—lamented in a letter to the editor of the Dakota Student published on Sept. 16, 1930.

Against the “thundering herd” of uniformed and helmeted Bison fielded by what then was the North Dakota Agricultural College, the Aggies, UND sent squads of … Flickertails. Variants of gophers. Rodents.

But “A Student,” as the writer signed his letter, noted that UND was becoming something of a power in football, scheduling such teams as Army and looking to make a national name for itself.

So “it wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he wrote, “to turn the tables and stage a buffalo hunt in the good old Indian manner. By the way, how’s that for a name, the ‘Sioux’?”Some of the student's reasons for choosing "Sioux":“The strong Indian tribes that first inhabited North Dakota were members of the Sioux nation. Man and beast fell before their strength. There is nothing weak about that name, such as ‘Flickertail’ might suggest.”

“Besides being easily rhymed for yells and songs, Sioux expresses a real sentiment,” E.A.H. wrote. “Sioux, says the dictionary, is an Indian of one of the most important tribes of North America. … They are warlike, of fine physique and bearing and a proud race.”

“Henceforth the Flickertails of North Dakota University will be no more,” the story began. “The defenders of the gridiron, of the basketball court, and of the cinders no longer need labor under the strain of bearing a cumbersome caption, for they have been newly baptized ‘Sioux.’ Consequently, it will be a tribe of warriors swooping down upon their invading foes tonight … instead of a scurrying swarm of gophers.”Comment:  A strong, warlike, tribe of warriors. A people known only for their physical attributes: brawny, brutish, bulky, gorillalike, hefty, hulking. A people not known for their art, oratory, philosophy, or religion. In short, primitive, barbaric, and savage.

So the stereotypes were present from the beginning. If you think "warlike"--someone who conquers and kills for a living--is a compliment, you'll love "Fighting Sioux." Huns, Mongols, Goths, Vikings, Conquistadors, Nazis, and Sioux...the greatest butchers and slayers in history.

For more on the subject, see North Dakota Orders UND to Keep "Sioux" and "Fighting Sioux" = "Obnoxious Baboons."

Great Plains tribes oppose mascots

Plains tribes still oppose nicknames, logos

By Chuck HagaLeaders of 11 northern Great Plains Indian tribes have voted to reaffirm their support of the NCAA’s policy calling for elimination of American Indian nicknames, logos and mascots at member colleges and universities.

Acting after the North Dakota Legislature adopted a law requiring UND to keep its Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo — but before the announcement last week that state and university officials would confer with NCAA leaders on April 22 in Bismarck — the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association voted 11-0 to declare its continuing opposition to the use of Indian names and imagery in collegiate athletics.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Rename the Dodgers "Yang-nas"? and Turbaned Indian Offensive, Chief Wahoo Okay.