This article was in yesterday's Minot Daily News. Looks like the petition in question was tabled just because Chairman Charles Murphy was not at the meeting due to a death in his family and the petition will be addressed at a later meeting.
FARGO (AP) - Supporters of the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo continue to hold out hope for its survival, even as UND President Robert Kelley maps out plans to retire the moniker.
The North Dakota Board of Education has voted to scrap the nickname, after the Grand Forks school waged a four-year legal battle with the NCAA. An agreement with the governing body of college sports would allow UND to keep the logo if it gets approval from the state's two namesake tribes, Spirit Lake and Standing Rock.
Last year, 67 percent of the Spirit Lake Sioux tribal members who voted endorsed the nickname's continued use.
Higher education board president Richie Smith said if the Standing Rock tribe votes in favor of the nickname before the Nov. 30 deadline set in the NCAA settlement, the board would likely revisit the issue. The board earlier added a provision requiring the two tribes to sign 30-year agreements for use of the name.
''If we get those 30-year agreements, I think we have a deal,'' Smith said.
Tribal backers at Standing Rock have turned in petitions with 1,004 signatures asking the council to approve an election. Tom Iron, former tribal vice chairman and nickname supporter, said the issue was tabled at a recent council meeting because Chairman Charles Murphy was absent due to a death in the family.
''Mr. Murphy told us to hold off until he gets home and we'll take care of it,'' said Iron, who lives in McLaughlin, S.D. ''He's very much concerned about what the people want because they submitted a petition with more than a thousand signatures.''
Another nickname supporter, former Standing Rock council member Archie Fool Bear, said the debate will rage on until the tribe has a vote.
''I'm hoping this council sees the light and says, 'Hey, the people want a say on this issue. Let's give it to them,''' Fool Bear said. ''And get away from the constant day-after-day and year-after-year haggling over the same thing like it's that terrible.'' [Minot Daily News]
There's nothing to be done unless the Standing Rock Tribe approves the name to satisfy the NCAA settlement.
ReplyDeleteAt that point the board of higher education imposing any other conditions is unacceptable.
The Board will not impose any other conditions. In fact, it's the exact opposite. They have consistently stated they would not have retired the name given the both the Spirit Lake and the Standing Rock approvals. Following the retirement on April 8, they have consistently stated they would retract the retirement following the approval by the SR Council. Rather, they did what they had to do even if, as a consequence, this decision served only to motivate the SR council to act. If the name was not retired, Mr Murphy would still have his head in the sand or perhaps some other dark place. Of equal importance is the fact that the Council does not need a referendum to make a decision. The referendum is a smoke screen. Look at the recent decision by the Chippewa Council prompted by a petition that was signed by only 62 of 9400 members. The SR council is well aware of their peoples' preference and no further delays are required. A referendum will not meet the deadline of Nov 30. A Council decision can be made at their June tribal council meeting held the first week of June. It's 6-6 with two opposers absent from the May meeting. We'll see if Mr Murphy can shift the opinions/votes.
ReplyDelete7: The Board of higher education is saying that they'll retire the name unless they get a 30 year commitment.
ReplyDeleteThe racist stereotype that underlies the Board of Higher Education's statement is amazing. There's no room in today's society for that kind of bigotry.
The entire BOHE should be fired.
No, they have already retired the name....and asking for 30 years is acceptable. As far as I'm concerned it should be ad infinitum. The SR Council should make a decision. As of this week, the Board has gone through changes. Shaft is now the V.P. Jon Backes is now the President.
ReplyDeleteShafts the guy who was dropped his committee when it looked like the Spirit Lake tribe might get a vote and made the motion to drop the name right away.
ReplyDeleteHis motion also was the first that I ever heard of the 30 year deal which is based on racist stereotypes.
The Board has been consistent on their stand that the Name would stay given the SR approval. Shaft made the motion to drop the name because the SR Tribe Council was non-cooperative, non-interested and not in favor. There was ZERO expectation of SR to do anything and in fact that's exactly what the SR Council said they would do...they were going to do nothing until after the Board decided. So, Shaft's arguably strategic move was to retire the name. As we have seen, it created a public fire storm for the SR people to be heard, consequently reviving the opportunity to get approval. Without the decision to retire, the deadline of Nov 30 would have come and gone with the same results. Racism is certainly a part of this matter but it is clearly not exclusive to the Board. Shaft's decison was based more on "business" than it was on "racism".
ReplyDelete