DU Pioneers: Mascot Committee will not be Adopting a new Mascot

Looking at Denver mascot choices, I don’t blame them for not wanting to pick a mascot after all. In a way, this is what I am hoping that the University of North Dakota does. I would rather see no mascot at all. I kind of like just being the University of North Dakota. I know some people are irritated by the sports writers calling UND the Green and White, but it’s better than being some stupid moniker none of us can embrace or get behind.

Caitlin Swieca, Denver Post --- After a months-long controversy surrounding the University of Denver's mascot, the DU Pioneers community has spoken and said it would prefer to have no mascot at all. The news came as DU's Mascot Steering Committee announced the findings of its research on Friday and recommended that none of the considered mascots move forward as they are currently designed.

A survey containing three mascot options— an elk, a jackalope and a mountaineer — was sent to DU students and alumni in July, asking them to evaluate the concepts against 20 attributes of the DU community.

More than 8,000 community members participated in the survey, more than three times the expected response. The release by the committee said that nearly 70 percent of respondents were either receptive or neutral to moving forward with a new mascot, but were not aligned on what that mascot should be.

DU Logo possibilities, just say no...

According to the DU Clarion, this is the three final mascot selections what the DU Mascot Steering Committee has released in a survey to approximately 75,000 recipients. The DU Mascot Steering Committee is looking to receive feedback on three final potential mascots. Yeah, how about none of the above... If you're wondering what these three characters are, there is an elk, a jackalope and finally a mountaineer.

As an alumnus of a university that recently retired a popular nickname and logo, I am afraid a travesty such as this could happen at UND.  Incidentally, UND will begin selecting a new logo and nickname in 2015. I like many North Dakota alumni will be watching. Seriously, this could happen at UND as well, if we're not proactive.

Related articles

• DU Pioneers mascot "Denver Boone" at center of controversy: Let's Go DU shuts down (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Denver Boone wins suppressed mascot poll at DU (denverpost.com)

Another perspective on the Fighting Sioux nickname

Here is a link to a blog post that one of my friends on twitter sent me. While I have always been a fan of the Fighting Sioux Nickname, I honestly I don't think that this kind of rhetoric is ever going to go away. Not if UND remains the Fighting Sioux nickname remains.

But tribal members support the mascot! So it's ok!
No. It isn't. Hitler was a white guy. Can I then deduce that all white men think it's ok to murder millions of people? And don't cite that stupid Sports Illustrated poll that says 90% of Indians support mascots. That thing has so many issues with sampling and validity it's not even funny. Yeah, a few tribal members might support the mascot. But it's a sad commentary on how invisible we are in society, because most of them cite the fact that they feel "proud" to be "recognized" and "remembered". If the only way Native peoples are viewed in the US are as racist stereotypical mascots, (or in movies, tv, and advertising) is it better to be invisible, or seen as a stereotype? [Native Appropriations]

This is almost as bad as Native American activist Russell Means saying that Indians that support the Fighting Sioux nickname are stupid, words he once uttered at a protest in front the REA before construction was finished.

Related articles

• It's UND's fault because they are the Fighting Sioux (ndgoon.blogspot.com)