2008 Woodie Awards
Debate & controversy
There is light surrounding the Fighting Sioux logo issue - and it might come sooner than originally expected.
Ryan Johnson
Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: News
Terms of the state's lawsuit settlement with the NCAA concerning the Fighting Sioux logo and nickname allow North Dakota to seek tribal approval of the moniker until Nov. 2010. But according to North Dakota State University System (NDUS) Chancellor William Goetz, that amount of time to wait for a resolution to the issue is too long.
Goetz said in an article published by the Grand Forks Herald on Saturday that the state needs to have a plan ready by 2010 for the transition. He said the transition wouldn't necessarily be a change in the nickname, but instead some kind of compromise with the tribal leaders and state officials to make the name more acceptable.
He also stressed the emotional impact of the controversy surrounding the name, adding that the issue has been damaging for UND. "This cannot continue," he said in the interview. "We need to bring this to a final resolution."
Goetz was unavailable for comment with The Dakota Student as of publication.
UND's impact
University President Robert Kelley stressed that no matter what the transition will be, the issue should be resolved sooner rather than later.
"I think the issue here for us is what's best for the University of North Dakota," he said. "There's not much to be gained by just letting this run out until the end with a whimper."
He said he believes that Goetz's comments show that he is trying to accelerate the process in order to finish what needs to be done eventually.
"He's putting together a committee that is working with the constituents that were named in the NCAA settlement, and I think he would like to try now to push this along," he said.
The State Board of Higher Education is in charge of meeting the requirements of the lawsuit settlement, and UND is not involved with the transition effort. The state and university will eventually take action based on his recommendation.
"The university right now is neutral," Kelley said. "We're not in the mix."
Goetz said in an article published by the Grand Forks Herald on Saturday that the state needs to have a plan ready by 2010 for the transition. He said the transition wouldn't necessarily be a change in the nickname, but instead some kind of compromise with the tribal leaders and state officials to make the name more acceptable.
He also stressed the emotional impact of the controversy surrounding the name, adding that the issue has been damaging for UND. "This cannot continue," he said in the interview. "We need to bring this to a final resolution."
Goetz was unavailable for comment with The Dakota Student as of publication.
UND's impact
University President Robert Kelley stressed that no matter what the transition will be, the issue should be resolved sooner rather than later.
"I think the issue here for us is what's best for the University of North Dakota," he said. "There's not much to be gained by just letting this run out until the end with a whimper."
He said he believes that Goetz's comments show that he is trying to accelerate the process in order to finish what needs to be done eventually.
"He's putting together a committee that is working with the constituents that were named in the NCAA settlement, and I think he would like to try now to push this along," he said.
The State Board of Higher Education is in charge of meeting the requirements of the lawsuit settlement, and UND is not involved with the transition effort. The state and university will eventually take action based on his recommendation.
"The university right now is neutral," Kelley said. "We're not in the mix."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
brian boehm
posted 10/10/08 @ 12:27 PM CST
I think this is rediculous. In the past, one of the Sioux tribes had said that the Sioux are still fighting;for rights; and that the nickname was not offensive. (Continued…)
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