Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe Hoping to Give Input to NCAA

I have to agree with Tony Delorme, why not let the Spirit Lake Sioux have a seat at the table? If my memory serves me right, Spirit Lake had a vote that was 67% in favor of the Fighting Sioux name? I think it would be interesting to see Members from the Spirit Lake Sioux at the meeting and tell representatives from the NCAA that they are in favor of the Fighting Sioux nickname and they don’t think it’s hostile and abusive. I would also love to be at the table and see what the NCAA members reaction would be.

WDAZ.COM --- Some Spirit Lake tribal members are wondering what their role will be in the latest UND Fighting Sioux Nickname development.

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education is hoping to set up meetings with the NCAA on legislative developments regarding the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

Representatives from the tribe say they feel a little disrespected that they have not been asked to be involved with the NCAA.

The tribe did take a vote on keeping the Fighting Sioux Nickname and Logo and it did pass.

Tony Delorme with the Spirit Lake Nation says there were mixed feelings after the vote from the Senate came in, but the tribes and the state are coming together for something they believe in and the tribes could make a difference with the NCAA.

UND Fighting Sioux nickname bill passes N.D. Senate - Developing

According the Grand Forks Herald the vote passed 28-15...Personally It’s time for the people of North Dakota to stand up to this tyrannical out of control organization known as the NCAA. I mean seriously folks, a vocal minority has been the ones driving the bus on determining the fate of the Fighting Sioux logo and I think this is a cause worth fighting for. I have been informed by a source that the Governor will sign the bill and it has been confirmed by a reporter as well...

Grand Forks Herald --- The North Dakota Senate voted today to approve legislation ordering UND to retain its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo.

The vote was 28-15 with four senators absent and not voting, and came after a massive e-mail lobbying campaign that senators said heavily favored approval and clogged members’ e-mail accounts.

The bill, passed earlier by the House on a 65-28 vote, goes now to Gov. Jack Dalrymple (A RINO), who has not indicated whether he will sign it. Dalrymple has asked Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, a former federal prosecutor, to research potential constitutional problems with the bill.

In addition to writing the Fighting Sioux nickname into state law, the bill directs Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to consider suing the NCAA if the athletics association again threatens sanctions against the university.

Stenehjem sued the NCAA on behalf of the State Board of Higher Education when the association said UND would lose the right to host post-season championships or participate in post-season play wearing Fighting Sioux insignia if it did not comply with an NCAA rule banning Indian-themed nicknames, logos and mascots.

In a 2007 settlement agreement, the NCAA gave UND and the higher education board three years to win authorization from the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes to continue using the name. Standing Rock voters gave their consent, but efforts to arrange a vote at Standing Rock or persuade the tribal council to change its longstanding opposition failed.

Here is the vote breakdown:


(Yea) Andrist
(Yea) Berry
(Yea) Bowman
(Yea) Burckhard
(Yea) Christmann
(Yea) Cook
(Yea) Dever
(Abs) Dotzenrod
(Yea) Erbele
(Yea) Fischer
(Abs) Flakoll
(Yea) Freborg
(Yea) G. Lee
(Yea) Grindberg
(Nay) Heckaman
(Yea) Hogue
(Nay) Holmberg - Grand Forks
(Yea) J. Lee
(Yea) Kilzer
(Yea) Klein
(Yea) Krebsbach
(Yea) Laffen
(Yea) Larsen
(Nay) Luick
(Yea) Lyson
(Nay) Marcellais
(Nay) Mathern
(Yea) Miller
(Nay) Murphy
(Nay) Nelson
(Nay) Nething
(Yea) Nodland
(Yea) O’Connell
(Abs) Oehlke
(Yea) Olafson
(Nay) Robinson
(Nay) Schaible
(Nay) Schneider
(Yea) Sitte
(Yea) Sorvaag
(Yea) Stenehjem
(Nay) Taylor
(Nay) Triplett
(Nay) Uglem
(Abs) Wanzek
(Yea) Wardner
(Nay) Warner

Fighting Sioux backers appeal to Gov. Hoeven

The nickname supporters from SPIRIT LAKE want the North Dakota Governor to intervene in the nickname dispute.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A group of Spirit Lake Sioux tribal members who lost a court fight on the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname want Gov. John Hoeven to intervene.

In a letter to the governor, five tribal members asked Hoeven to press the Board of Higher Education to take back its decision last week to drop the nickname.

Although Hoeven appoints the board, it is independent. Its members may ignore the governor if they wish.

The tribal members recently sued in state district court to attempt to block the board from making a decision on the nickname until Nov. 30. The deadline was set in a lawsuit settlement with the NCAA.

The North Dakota Supreme Court ruled last week the Board of Higher Education may change the nickname as it pleases.

Gant Shaft; University of North Dakota doesn’t want the nickname any more.

Here is what Rob Port of SayAnythingBlog.com had to say about the Grant Shaft interview on Scott Hennen's radio show last Friday on A.M 1100 the Flag.

There is nothing stopping from state board of higher education from allowing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe to vote on the nickname. If that tribe votes as the Spirit Lake tribe has already, then the NCAA’s requirements for keeping the nickname will have been fulfilled.

The problem here is that university officials don’t even want the vote to happen.

This is Scott Hennen's interview with Jody Hodgson, the manager of the Ralph Englestad Arena. s/t SayAnythingBlog.com

Monday morning ramblings...

Someone posted this over on Sioux Sports and it's worth a look, it's easy for opposition team’s newspapers and beat writers to be so smug and take the moral high ground when they are not the ones that are going through this process. Just wait till the political correctness Nazi’s decide that Bison is offensive and has to go. Yeah you laugh now.

Apparently, UND Fighting Sioux woman's basetball coach Gene Roebuck caused quite the stir with these comments, “If given the choice of keeping the name or getting into the Summit,” Roebuck said, “I’d definitely go with the Fighting Sioux. Personally I don’t have a problem with what Gene said; I guess it’s an issue that’s between him and the athletic director. Right now I am not all that happy with Faison or Kelly.

As you probably heard, the University of North Dakota will finally retire the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, but not without making a scene.

Players, coaches and administrators have all dished out some priceless quotes about the situation. One of the best was women's basketball coach Gene Roebuck saying that he'd rather keep the nickname than gain entry in the Summit League, a conference that has said it won't consider the school for membership until the situation is resolved.

Now, why say that publicly? There seem to be only two reasons: A) He really believes that, which seems unlikely given that passing up a spot in a conference that has automatic bids into NCAA Division I tournaments is illogical or B) He's just saying that to stay on good terms with all the nickname loyalists in Grand Forks. And there are a lot of them. And they are powerful. That's another aspect that is astounding: This development could have been an opportunity for the school and the athletic department to stand unified and rally support for a new chapter, to say, "Sure, this stinks and we tried everything we could to prevent the change, but we're going to make the best of it. We're still going to be UND and we're going to be better than ever."

But it hasn't happened that way; the cringe-worthy comments keep coming. It's reminiscent of 2004, when some UND coaches blasted rival North Dakota State for moving to Division I - only to wind up making the same jump a few years later. [Argus Leader]

Steve Fool Bear - In North Dakota, ‘we are all Fighting Sioux’ - Links on story

In case you haven't seen this article that was in today Grand Forks Herald, this opinion piece kind of speaks for itself. Mr Fool Bear is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Nation.

FORT YATES, N.D. — Who is responsible for the possible loss of the UND Fighting Sioux nickname and logo? Was it the anti-logo few? Was it the State Board of Higher Education? Was it the president of UND? Was it the Standing Rock tribal council?

Or was it us?

A great coach once told me, “Evil can flourish when good men do nothing.” The blame lies on us all — the vast number of Fighting Sioux supporters who stood by, idling, apathetic and fearful of racist and sell-out labels, and let it happen.

The divisive few gained their foothold and now have disrupted our progressive society.

The great majority of both Sioux nations and North Dakotans support the use of the logo, yet it will be eliminated soon if nothing is done.

Although many anti-logo activists may view this as a victory and the near end of their fight, I can tell them as being one the thousands of Standing Rock tribal members whose civil rights have been trampled on that this fight has just begun.

The movement has been successful in its petty cause of removing a logo, but at what cost?

Indian people’s civil rights once again have been ignored, not only by the Standing Rock tribal leaders and the higher education board, but by anti-nickname activists as well.

Not one anti-nickname activist stood up for the real issues this debate revealed. Not one protested or screamed for his or her people’s rights.

To the contrary, the activists fought tooth and nail to make sure those voices were silenced — all due to a silly idea of some obscure Indian victory.

Political correctness has nothing to do with Sioux values; the activists either had forgotten or ignored the fact that we represent the exact opposite. But those whom the activists ignored will not forget.

It’s now the responsibility of all the people of North Dakota, both Indian and non-Indian, to quit talking and start doing. This is the last act of the show; who will be in it?

It’s amazing what one phone call or letter can accomplish. Imagine what 10,000 can do.

The name and logo will never die, because the real issues concerning them never were dealt with.

The people of Standing Rock will be heard one way or another.

If ever there was a time for North Dakotans to come together in unity, this is it. Common sense and democracy will prevail, but it will take everyone’s efforts.

The truth will be revealed: The Sioux people are neither victims, hypocrites nor the enemies of North Dakota. It is the 21st century, and “We are all Fighting Sioux.”

Steve Fool Bear

Fool Bear is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.

Links to the story - Developing ...

Wall Street Journal; University Loses Sioux Mascot War

Fan House; University of North Dakota's 'Fighting Sioux' Nickname, Logo Retired

Grand Forks Herald; Nickname fans hold rally at REA

Dickinson Press; Local have mixed reactions over UND nickname

Bismarck Tribune; UND campus resigned to the end of ‘Sioux country’

Huffington Post; North Dakota Retires Fighting Sioux Nickname

Post Bulletin; UND loses Fighting Sioux nickname

ESPN.COM; Court, board decide to retire nickname

MPR NEWS; UND to stop using Fighting Sioux nickname by August

Fargo Forum; Gipp applauds decision to retire nickname

The Chronicle of Higher Education; North Dakota Supreme Court Rejects Appeal by 'Fighting Sioux' Supporters

New York Times; Fighting Sioux Nickname Retired

KXnet.com; Fighting Sioux Reaction

Fargo Hockey Examiner; University of North Dakota "Fighting Sioux" nickname retired

Bismarck Tribune; Former Sioux James Massen weighs in on the name change

Bismarck's James Massen, who played hockey for UND, agreed.

"It's where I wanted to go since I was 5 years old," Massen said. "Being a member of the Fighting Sioux was an absolute honor and a privilege. ... I was hoping and praying it would never change."

Bismarck Tribune; Ruling on Fighting Sioux nickname, logo ruling disappoints governor

NHL.COM; Travis Zajac speaks up about the Fighting Sioux name and logo.

Travis Zajac played two seasons at the University of North Dakota, and was disappointed to hear that the team will be changing its "Fighting Sioux" nickname. The Associated Press reported Friday that a state Supreme Court ruling and Board of Higher Education decision have retired the name for good. The school will stop using the name in August.

"It kind of [stinks] because it’s a great name, it’s been the school’s name for a while," Zajac said. "I felt proud wearing the Fighting Sioux jersey and carrying that tradition. There’s a lot of tradition behind the hockey team and the school. I guess for that to be done it kind of [stinks]."

Zach Parise is also an alumnus of UND, which has seven national titles in men's ice hockey, and 14 WCHA championships. They have used the Fighting Sioux nickname since 1930.

Sioux Nickname: Blais Former UND coach upset with nickname decision

Former UND Fighting Sioux hockey coach Dean Blais is less than impressed with the recent events at the University of North Dakota...

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The coach who led the University of North Dakota hockey team to two national championships says when he learned of the decision to retire the school's Fighting Sioux nickname it was one of the saddest days of his life.

Current Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais (blayz) says he thinks the nickname was used with pride. And he says hockey fans around the country who know nothing about North Dakota know who the Fighting Sioux are.

Blais coached the Sioux for a decade. He has an extensive resume that includes stops in the NHL and with the U.S. Olympic team. He also was a good friend of the late Ralph Engelstad, a UND hockey alum and benefactor who supported the nickname. Engelstad paid for UND's hockey arena, which carries his name.

Blais says he thinks that if Engelstad were still alive, the Fighting Sioux nickname would have survived.

UND Athletic department press conference on Sioux name

If you haven't seen the press conference that was held today here it is. This is sad day in our school's history, we are talking about dropping a logo and nickname that has been with my/our school for 80 years. You can see that the UND coaches are not happy, even the ones that haven't been here that long.