Hockey news on the Fighting Sioux name.

Ryan Kennedy from the Hockey News weighs in on the Fighting Sioux nick name. This article has a few things that should be addressed. First, I don't believe the NCAA is going to accept the nick name Warriors not with the current logo anyways. There is already a NSIC team named the Warriors, the Sioux used to whoop up on them in football.

I have seen people write what is going to be be removed from the arena if the name is changed; I think people are miss stating the facts. The fact laid out by the settlement is that the championship banners hanging from the rafters, the photos, trophies and statues and the Sitting Bull statue in front of the Englestad arena and logos in the granite floor are not going anywhere. (NCAA Settlement agreement)

The Fighting Sioux name in North Dakota will soon be no more. The university’s controversial moniker is getting an update, thus appeasing the NCAA as well as actual Sioux nation members from two of the state’s three tribes, who would both need to change stances and endorse the name in order to keep it (the third is already on board).

Over the years there has been much debate over the topic; fans insist their love of the name and logo stems from pride and respect. Charges of racism are often quite wounding to UND supporters, though the hockey team’s greatest benefactor never really helped matters.

Ralph Engelstad, whose name graces the Fighting Sioux’s sparkling arena (which hosted the world juniors in 2005), was criticized for throwing parties in a Nazi-themed secret room at his Imperial Casino in Las Vegas on Hitler’s birthday in the 1980s. His $100 million donation to UND for the arena was contingent on the university keeping the Fighting Sioux name. Engelstad died of cancer in 2002.

But the name is likely a moot point now. The fans can regard themselves as Sioux Nation as long as they want, but the sweaters and pennants will have to be changed. The school that gave us Ed Belfour, Zach Parise and T.J. Oshie will still churn out excellent players, so what should the team be named?

Coming up with a new tag for a school so identified with the old one is tricky. And since the most obvious name for a team from North Dakota – the Bison – is already being used by North Dakota State, UND will have to get creative.

One way to keep the theme of the Fighting Sioux without the inflammatory bits, would be to call the team the Warriors. It’s a little plain, but it’s also vague enough to not be offensive. After all, a warrior can be anyone from a Sioux combatant to Peter Forsberg. Animal names are also very good. Unfortunately, North Dakota doesn’t have a very intimidating menagerie.

The state bird is the western meadowlark and North Dakota is sometimes known as the ‘Flickertail State’ because of a local squirrel. Taking to the ice as the North Dakota Flickertails would provide a little too much ammo for the Badgers and Bulldogs of the WCHA.

The state horse is the nakota, which is a cool-sounding name if you don’t mind the tongue-twister of saying “North Dakota Nakotas.” The Utah Utes have survived, after all.