Pull the plug on nickname
Martin Rottler
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Opinion
Imagine, if you will, that a family member is currently in the intensive care unit of a hospital, on life support. Doctors assure you the condition is nearly 99.9 percent fatal, and that while they can't explicitly say so, they assume the patient is likely suffering from mild pain, at the very least, and severe anguish at worst.
What is your initial reaction to this situation? Would you do the humane thing and suggest that they pull the plug? Would you hold out hope and pray for that 0.1 percent chance? I'm guessing that for most of you reading this article now that you would likely choose the former option.
The University of North Dakota has a similar patient on life support-the Fighting Sioux name. This is a death that has been forthcoming since the very beginnings of the lawsuit against the NCAA several years ago.
Instead of admitting the (sometimes outwardly) racist undertones of the name and finding a new, non-offensive mascot/name, the State Board of Higher Education decided to shove a ventilator down the throat of that Sioux head seen everywhere at the Engelstad Arena.
Just as the patient in the first paragraph suffers, a fairly sizeable group of our student body continues to feel the effects of racism, ignorance and intolerance from other UND students, alumni and members of the Grand Forks community. That group, in case it wasn't clear from the above sentence, is made up of the Native American students on campus.
Statements I've heard from people around the campus and the community are unjust, ignorant and borderline abhorrent. I've heard jokes, stupid comments, and the use of Ralph Englestad's supposed second-favorite derogatory moniker (after the Fighting Sioux, of course) to describe Native Americans, which doesn't deserve repeating.
I've long held the belief that this campus community and the greater Grand Forks and Minnesota/North Dakota community at large don't deserve the Fighting Sioux nickname. Claiming you "honor" the "tradition" of the Sioux is half-hearted at best when you turn around and make comments relating to the very real problem of alcoholism on American Indian reservations.
What is your initial reaction to this situation? Would you do the humane thing and suggest that they pull the plug? Would you hold out hope and pray for that 0.1 percent chance? I'm guessing that for most of you reading this article now that you would likely choose the former option.
The University of North Dakota has a similar patient on life support-the Fighting Sioux name. This is a death that has been forthcoming since the very beginnings of the lawsuit against the NCAA several years ago.
Instead of admitting the (sometimes outwardly) racist undertones of the name and finding a new, non-offensive mascot/name, the State Board of Higher Education decided to shove a ventilator down the throat of that Sioux head seen everywhere at the Engelstad Arena.
Just as the patient in the first paragraph suffers, a fairly sizeable group of our student body continues to feel the effects of racism, ignorance and intolerance from other UND students, alumni and members of the Grand Forks community. That group, in case it wasn't clear from the above sentence, is made up of the Native American students on campus.
Statements I've heard from people around the campus and the community are unjust, ignorant and borderline abhorrent. I've heard jokes, stupid comments, and the use of Ralph Englestad's supposed second-favorite derogatory moniker (after the Fighting Sioux, of course) to describe Native Americans, which doesn't deserve repeating.
I've long held the belief that this campus community and the greater Grand Forks and Minnesota/North Dakota community at large don't deserve the Fighting Sioux nickname. Claiming you "honor" the "tradition" of the Sioux is half-hearted at best when you turn around and make comments relating to the very real problem of alcoholism on American Indian reservations.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 9
Troy
posted 2/06/10 @ 6:21 PM CST
Wow....What an idiot! If you dont like the school, the name or the atmosphere, then leave. I doubt the campus would miss you.
Dave
posted 2/07/10 @ 1:30 AM CST
Don't take the bait. This column was written to elicit a certain type of response. That's how the name change activists work. They go looking for controversy and then when they cause some, they claim the nickname is "hostile and abusive". (Continued…)
Andrea
posted 2/07/10 @ 4:44 PM CST
I'm just sick of the entire argument. I used to be a nickname supporter; now I couldn't care less either way. I just want it decided and done.
Arecibo Drake
Arecibo Drake
posted 2/08/10 @ 8:34 AM CST
Spare me. Let people be offended.
Why don't you just make it illegal to be offended? This is prime example of the trend in this country: so many things that are ACTUALLY offensive have been defeated, and people just find new more mundane things to be offended about. (Continued…)
UND Native Alum
posted 2/08/10 @ 11:00 AM CST
Great column. I'm currently an alumni and don't support the University for the continued use of the nickname - as many others I talk to.
If the name is changed I'm sure the money they will loose from alumni who claim they will no longer donate will be made up from alumni who currently do not. (Continued…)
Jimmy Johns
posted 2/11/10 @ 7:03 PM CST
"Basing your monetary donations not on the educational experiences you had during your tenure at this school but instead on the sporting events that you spent 1/64th of your time here attending is preposterous. (Continued…)
UND Native Student
posted 2/14/10 @ 5:41 PM CST
Thanks for posting this article in the Dakota Student. Let's hope all these racists' will open their eyes, rather than showing their true colors.
Aho, pidamaya. (Continued…)
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