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North Dakota voters to decide on Fighting Sioux nickname
There's a UND fan over at Collegiate Sports Nation that started a thread with some good info. Sounds like one Sioux tribe is very passionate about keeping the nickname. I believe they had a tribal vote and overwhelmingly support it. The other Sioux tribe won't let it go to vote and the leadership council, or whatever they're called, is against it. But it appears that if they ever let it go to vote that the tribe as a whole would support it in big numbers.
I believe FSU only needed one tribe to support the nickname Seminoles, but the NCAA is making UND get support from both Sioux tribes. But it also sounds like some people are fed up with this long drawn out process that they may vote the name down just so they don't have to deal with it anymore.
Personally, I don't see anything offensive about the name at all. I understand if there are problems with the name Redskins, but Fighting Sioux isn't that bad. Heck, the mascot was even designed by one of the Sioux who was a former student. There's some detail in the above thread about the thought that went into the design. Kind of impressive if you ask me.
I wonder when the animal rights activists are going to get the NCAA to force schools to remove all animal mascots from schools because they believe it's offensive and/or demeaning? I don't think any school will get enough animal signatures for them to keep the names at that point. At least UND has a fighting chance.
The issue has been simmering on the campus for several decades but boiled over seven years ago when UND was placed on a list of schools with American Indian nicknames the NCAA deemed hostile and abusive. Those colleges were told to dump the monikers or risk sanctions against their athletic teams.
Voters in Tuesday's North Dakota primary will be asked whether to uphold or reject the Legislature's repeal of a state law requiring the school to continue using the nickname and American Indian head logo. A yes vote would seemingly retire the nickname, but even that may be temporary.
As its members urged state residents on Monday to vote to keep the name, a group that called itself the Committee for Understanding and Respect circulated petitions for a second referendum. That measure would change the state constitution to declare UND forever be known as the Fighting Sioux.
Voters in Tuesday's North Dakota primary will be asked whether to uphold or reject the Legislature's repeal of a state law requiring the school to continue using the nickname and American Indian head logo. A yes vote would seemingly retire the nickname, but even that may be temporary.
As its members urged state residents on Monday to vote to keep the name, a group that called itself the Committee for Understanding and Respect circulated petitions for a second referendum. That measure would change the state constitution to declare UND forever be known as the Fighting Sioux.
I believe FSU only needed one tribe to support the nickname Seminoles, but the NCAA is making UND get support from both Sioux tribes. But it also sounds like some people are fed up with this long drawn out process that they may vote the name down just so they don't have to deal with it anymore.
Personally, I don't see anything offensive about the name at all. I understand if there are problems with the name Redskins, but Fighting Sioux isn't that bad. Heck, the mascot was even designed by one of the Sioux who was a former student. There's some detail in the above thread about the thought that went into the design. Kind of impressive if you ask me.
I wonder when the animal rights activists are going to get the NCAA to force schools to remove all animal mascots from schools because they believe it's offensive and/or demeaning? I don't think any school will get enough animal signatures for them to keep the names at that point. At least UND has a fighting chance.