GRAND FORKS — I have admiration and great respect for the members of the Committee of Understanding and Respect and the Spirit Lake citizens who voted their support for the UND Fighting Sioux name and logo, as well as for those at the Standing Rock reservation who worked to give their members a vote.
The long debate and controversy on this issue has evolved to a situation where I believe it is in North Dakota’s best interest for there to be a “yes” vote on Measure 4 supporting the Legislature’s action returning control of this issue to UND.
The fallout of the limited NCAA sanctions is contagious as other universities such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are boycotting UND athletic teams for athletic competition. A few weeks ago, the UND track team was disallowed from a prestigious track meet in Iowa. My low regard for this individual university action is irrelevant. We must deal with reality.
We carried this fight as far as we could without doing damage to UND, North Dakota and the Sioux people [Read the rest of Earl's letter]
Election day is June 12th - The measure as it appears on the ballot reads:
This referendum measure concerns Senate Bill 2370 as passed by the Legislative Assembly in the November 2011 special session (Session Laws, Chapter 580). Senate Bill 2370 repealed section 15-10-46 of the North Dakota Century Code, which required the University of North Dakota to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.
YES – means you approve Senate Bill 2370, the effect of which would allow the University of North Dakota to discontinue the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.
NO – means you reject Senate Bill 2370, and would require the University of North Dakota to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.
