Remove UND Sioux Mascot

Posted by parker on Feb 1 2008 3:39PM — I love the Sioux people and Nation.

It is sad that your people are once again being exploited.

The enemies (using the Sioux language) have already taking your lands and your hunting and fishing areas.

They raped your daughters and women and killed your children.

They have poisoned your water and your scare lands.

They destroyed your homes and source of food.

They point their fingers at you and laugh with ridicules and shame you in front of your children.

They designed the schools system so that you will fail. They are still moving ahead with their extermination plans.

Next year they will take a piece of land or your fishing and hunting rights.

Exploitation and termination plans were enforced by the federal government, then the state governments, then the county governments, then businesses and companies.

Now universities and colleges!!

When will the Sioux Nations unite and stand together and stop all this exploitation.

The future of the Sioux nations is before you.

If universities and colleges continue to exploit the Sioux nations with mascot, your children will continue to be exploited, ridiculed and laugh at in universities and colleges.

It will cause them to leave schools. Your children and grand children will not receive their degrees because of these exploitation and discrimination.

The Sioux Nations must stop these exploitations and discriminations that are embedded and rooted into the school system by using “Sioux” mascot.

You must not let the enemies take advantage of your life, your culture and identities and pride.

I know that all the Sioux Chiefs before you would have stood against exploitations and discrimination by universities and colleges.

Now is the time, not next year or not in two years, but today all Sioux nations must stand-up and unite and vote against this exploitation by universities and colleges.

Do it for your people, children, grand children and your future

parker, at 5:55 pm EST on February 26, 2008

I am not a Native American ... nevertheless, I admit I am of two minds on this subject. I can live with “Atlanta Braves” and “Kansas City Chiefs.” But I think “Washington Redskins” is repulsive. I think the logo of the Cleveland Indians is demeaning. I have always liked the logo of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, as I did the logo of the former Eastern Michigan University Huron. I think the stupid “Indian” paraphernalia and gestures of drunken alumni and students at athletic events is moronic ... and demeaning. And how about the Braves’ tomahawk chop?

On top of my prejudices, however, I believe (1) this crusade for political correctness is not the business of the NCAA and (2) if they choose to make it their business, they should not “pick and choose,” saying this display honors Native Americans and that display demeans them, and (3) if they choose to make it their business, they must set policy, not in terms of the belittlement of only Native Americans, but in terms of belittling any group of people. If there is anyone at the NCAA who is willing to take me on in a debate in which they are required to explain why their policies apply to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux and not to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish – and even to the University of West Virginia Mountaineers – I’m available.

By the way, I have often wondered why the University of Notre Dame does not have a pre game ceremony at mid-field similar to the Florida State Seminole’s ceremony. A student dressed to look like St. Patrick opens a box of, say, a dozen copperheads and rattlesnakes at mid-field and proceeds to drive the snakes in the direction of the opponents bench. The fans would go crazy. Hmmm, maybe the Fighting Irish have too much class to do that.

It’s not that I don’t think there are important issues here ... I do. It’s just that I think the NCAA should stick to what it does best ... make money.

RWH, at 10:07 am EDT on September 29, 2005

ncaa mascot names

ok, so we have all established that the reason the some school’s are being allowed to keep there mascot names is because of money. However, we are missing the bigger issue here. The exploiation of the amercian indian. The tribes depicted by these teams should recieve some type of compensation for be degraded. Across american and all sports indian mascots have become common place. I am a black man and if I saw a team called the fighting negros i would take great offense. think about it it is a no brainer. get rid of all mascots that single out a groupe of people. Including the notre dame fighting irish.

daryl, what are they thinking, at 4:00 pm EDT on September 29, 2005

As a recently retired Professor of English at the University of North Dakota (34 years) I can assure readers that the label “political correctness” is a red herring on this issue. This University, unlike some others where related controversies have surfaced, is deep in Indian Country. In my time there I never had a year go by when there were not Indian students in my office telling me how the name interferred with their education, damaged their children, and, in some cases, even made their lives unsafe. For quite similar reasons, the overwhelming majority of the various native programs on cmapus have long officially opposed the nickname. Those students, those programs, those tribal governments deserve our respect.

James McKenzie, at 1:47 pm EDT on October 3, 2005

As another student from UND, and a member of a Sioux tribe, I am thankful that the NCAA has stepped in and put its foot down. For those that don’t know, UND does NOT have the support of the Native American programs on campus (many of which actually PAY to be on campus.) Nor does it have the support of the Sioux tribes of the region. I have personally witnessed racism on campus, and in the next couple months I can only expect it to get worse on campus. “Honor” cannot be forced. Personally I feel that if you want to call “sioux dogs,” “H-Sioux-O,” and green wigs honor, then keep your honor. We don’t want it. One person told me, “if the name goes, so should your FREE education, and all of the programs WE pay for on campus.” That’s fine by me, can we shake on that? Because I have paid for my education, and all but 3 NA programs on campus are funded outside sources. With that being said, THANK YOU NCAA!!!!

another UND Student, at 6:30 am EDT on April 30, 2006