BISMARCK, N.D. – The political give and take over an American Indian mascot
may be more exciting this fall than what takes place on the gridiron of the
University of North Dakota.
American Indian organizations and individuals continue to oppose the use of
an American Indian image that also involves derogatory logos and claim it
is an offense to the culture and sensibilities of American Indians. Alumni
and professional team owners fight back, usually with the argument that to
use the image is to honor the American Indian.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association entered the fray by
prohibiting the use of 19 schools’ American Indian mascots during
post-season games. NCAA then backpedaled and allowed some schools to use
their mascot names. The University of North Dakota has appealed the ruling,
but has not yet received an announcement that they can keep the “Fighting
Sioux” mascot.
North and South Dakota tribes, where the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota
(commonly called the Sioux) are located, are opposed to the “Fighting
Sioux” mascot.
At a recent tribal summit the tribes signed a resolution supporting the
NCAA ruling.
The United Tribes of North Dakota argue that the name “Sioux,” derived from
the French, is a pejorative used in the 19th century. Lakota, Dakota and
Nakota are words used by the people to identify themselves mean “friend or
ally.”
Representatives from the five federally recognized tribes in North Dakota
voted unanimously to support the resolution that calls for UND to change
the mascot name.
“In the United States, Native Americans are the only race or ethnic group
where pejorative words describing Native Americans are used as the nickname
for athletic teams of institutions of higher learning and who are, as an
ethnic group, portrayed as caricatures in logos, symbols, mascots and in
other ways by those institutions,” the resolution stated.
While attending the tribal leader’s summit in Bismarck, UND President Dr.
Charles Kupchella said he had been hearing both sides of the issue for the
past six years, but nobody that he knows of has switched sides.
He came to the summit to talk about educational opportunities, but the
conversation turned to the mascot issue.
“They will listen, but they will act where the money is. It’s all about
money and it’s all about oppressing a race of people,” said Jesse Taken
Alive, councilman from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
He said it was time to get past the emotion and tell people that American
Indians feel the brunt of the issue because they are being used as a
mascot. “Let’s change that,” he said.
University administrators claim they have never seen a racially derogatory
sign at any of the games and, they claim, the logo has support from many
American Indian people.
The Spirit Lake Tribe at Fort Totten supported the mascot some five years
ago. The tribe is now in support of the NCAA ruling.
“A poll by one of the major daily newspapers showed most Indian people
think UND should change the name if tribes request it.
“That’s what tribes have been doing for a long time. UND and the Board of
Higher Education haven’t been listening,” said David Gipp, president of
United Tribes Technical College.
There is no lack of critics of American Indians for wanting the names
changed, and most support the argument that an Indian mascot honors the
warrior society of the American Indian.
“Maybe I’m blind, but I don’t see the use of an Indian tribe as a nickname
as being derogatory,” wrote Bryan Zollman, sports editor for the Sauk
Center Herald in Sauk Center, Minn., located near the North Dakota border.
“You would think these nicknames are a symbol of pride and tradition, for
both the teams and the tribes,” Zollman wrote.
From south of the border in South Dakota, Matthew Miller, a federal law
enforcement officer from Sioux Falls, wrote in a column to the Christian
Science Monitor that “Breaking university traditions and causing some
sentimental heartache for alumni is a small price to pay for showing
respect to the Indian peoples.”
“Perhaps the use of Indian mascots by predominantly white schools
symbolizes a lack of control over their own cultural identity,” Miller
stated.
“As a white male I am not privileged to decide what is or is not offensive
for people of another race. The issue goes beyond race, it is one of common
courtesy,” Miller wrote.
The tribal chairmen requested formal consultation and negotiation with the
North Dakota Board of Higher Education, UND and the NCAA to discuss the
logo and mascot issue.
At the heart of the issue is a $100 million hockey facility, throughout
which images of the logo are depicted. The funds were donated by a loyal
alumnus on the condition that the nickname and logo of UND not be changed.
Because of attempts to change the mascot and logo many American Indian
students, the resolution claims, were harassed, threatened and received
death threats. Indian Country Today could not verify the nature of the
alleged threats.
