By Chalk up a win for political correctness. From the Argus Leader-
North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education has agreed to drop the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo, a move intended to resolve a decades-long campus dispute about whether the name demeans American Indians.
The name and logo, which is a profile of an American Indian man with feathers and streaks of paint on his face, could still be saved if North Dakota’s Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes agree by Oct. 1 to give UND permission to use them for at least 30 years.
However, tribal officials say that possibility is remote, and board members and UND President Robert Kelley spoke of the logo and nickname in the past tense on Thursday. Unless the name and logo receive tribal endorsement, they will be retired for good on Aug. 1, 2010.
The board, which met Thursday at Dickinson State University, voted 8-0 to retire the logo and nickname.
So what should the new North Dakota nickname be? The fighting Certified Public Accountants? The armed and ready B-52s? Any other suggestions?
Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs
11:53 pm on May 18th, 2009 1
I don't know, the Eunuchs came immediately to mind for some reason…
12:20 am on May 19th, 2009 2
I went to Florida State University- the Seminoles- and we had the same controversy in the early/mid 90's. The university had a good relationship with the Seminole tribe of Florida, so there was no problem there. It was the Seminole tribe of Oklahoma that was protesting the university, especially at our extremely popular football games- we had a really good team then.
It was a real issue for the liberals in town as they didn't want any hurt feelings, but no one really felt that the mascot was offensive.
If the Florida tribe had a problem, then it probably would have meant something more, but nobody cared about a group from a far away state coming to air their grievances. The protests eventually stopped and the issue died.
In hindsight, we kind of feel that the guy leading the protests was less interested in changing "offensive" mascots and more interested in positioning himself in a greater leadership role over the Seminole people, Jessie Jackson style.
A local radio station had some real fun with it at the time by airing a story that FSU had given in to the Oklahoma tribe and were going to change the mascot from the Seminoles to the Flamingos. That really ruffled some feathers. There were some real pissed off Florida State fans for a couple of days there!
6:42 am on May 19th, 2009 3
One wonders if failed royalty negotiations were a factor.
If the name was The Drunk Indians Gulping Sterno and Aquanet Next to a Dumpster Behind Walgreens… with a logo of a shirtless Indian sleeping in a pile of broken feathers mixed with his own vomit, I could understand.
Using the name Fighting Sioux to evoke power, pride, ability and fearlessness, while displaying an appropriately noble logo, only "offends" those looking to pretend to be offended for other reasons.
Never give in to that… or, like a kid throwing a tantrum, it will never go away.
I would tell 'em to go sh!t in their tepees and then, to show there were no hard feelings, send them some Fighting Sioux logo t-shirts, bar towels and blankets…
…with smallpox.
Or… more seriously… I would simply tell them the other option is to change the name to the Victorious Palefaces with a stylized logo of Gen. James W. Forsyth… let 'em remember why the Wounded Knee Massacre produced more Medals of Honor than any other battle in the history of the USA… 'cuz it produced a lot of Sioux that no longer complained.
Remember the story of Robert McGee? Yep. That was the Sioux. Look up the pretty horrifying picture.
Screw 'em.
3:48 am on August 8th, 2009 4
How about the Fighting Irish? Opps-that's been taken. If you can excuse me, I have to go organize a protest at Notre Dame. Since I'm Irish, I demand they stop using their demeaning team nickname. BS
7:38 pm on August 8th, 2009 5
How about: The Drunkin Sioux or wife-beating sioux? Yellow bellied sioux. All would be more accurate and that should make the sioux happy.