North Dakota to Sue NCAA Over Fighting Sioux Name

[MrMustang1965]

By DALE WETZEL, Associated Press Writer

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) -- State officials voted Thursday to sue the NCAA for penalizing the University of North Dakota over its "Fighting Sioux" nickname and Indian head logo.

Following a meeting with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, the Board of Higher Education voted 8-0 to authorize the lawsuit, which would be handled by Stenehjem.


The NCAA last year announced it was banning the use of ethnically or racially "hostile" or "abusive" nicknames, mascots and imagery at championship events. It found 18 schools, including UND, in violation of the policy.

Several of those schools have since changed team names and mascots or won appeals after local tribes came to their defense. In UND's case, though, the NCAA rejected the appeal and told the school it may not use the Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo during NCAA postseason tournaments, and it may not host a tournament if it continues to use them.

Stenehjem said the NCAA's decision was an edict delivered by a committee that used constantly changing standards and didn't put the plan to a vote of the NCAA's membership.

The NCAA's executive committee, "more or less by fiat, decided that some institutions were going to be subject to this rule, and some institutions, for reasons that are not understandable, were exempted," Stenehjem said.

He wouldn't say when the lawsuit, to be financed by private funds, would be filed.

NCAA President Myles Brand has said the NCAA will defend its policy "to the utmost."

North Dakota's Board of Higher Education reviewed the UND nickname and logo in 2000 and ordered the university to keep them shortly after a benefactor building a hockey arena on campus threatened to leave it unfinished if the name and logo changed.

A number of Indian tribes and students support dropping the nickname and logo. One official with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe wrote a letter supporting the university, but another opposed the nickname.

David Gipp, president of Bismarck's United Tribes Technical College, asked the board to forgo legal action.

"We would hope that rather than spend funds on a lawsuit, the funds were instead used to create more opportunities for American Indians, and all North Dakotans, to improve their lives and to promote diversity," he wrote.

[NavyCrimson]

good for UND!!!!

ncaa = joke

[Casey]

If Florida State can remain the Seminoles, there's no reason ND can't remain the Sioux. Each is the name of a Native American tribe from those areas. The only difference is that Florida State is a money-making machine for the NCAA, and North Dakota isn't. So the NCAA can make ND change, just to pat itself on the back in the press by saying "look at us -- we're politically correct" and then let Florida State do whatever it wants. I'm one of the more hyper-sensitive, politically correct people you'll ever know, and I see nothing wrong with those names. I'm totally behind NDakota on this.

[PonySnob]

This is relevant to SMU?

[CalallenStang]

If Florida State can remain the Seminoles, there's no reason ND can't remain the Sioux. Each is the name of a Native American tribe from those areas. The only difference is that Florida State is a money-making machine for the NCAA, and North Dakota isn't. So the NCAA can make ND change, just to pat itself on the back in the press by saying "look at us -- we're politically correct" and then let Florida State do whatever it wants. I'm one of the more hyper-sensitive, politically correct people you'll ever know, and I see nothing wrong with those names. I'm totally behind NDakota on this.

Not to mention the NCAA isn't targeting Notre Dame's usage of the "Irish" nickname, which is a group of people just as "Sioux" and "Seminoles" are.

Let UND remain the Sioux if you let the other UND remain the Irish.

What would the NCAA hockey tournament be without the Fighting (or should it be Skating?) Sioux making a deep run?

[CalallenStang]

This is relevant to SMU?

SMU was screwed by the NCAA. UND is getting screwed by the NCAA. Draw the connection.

[Water Pony]

Add the U. of Illinois to the list. The name originated after WWI, when US troops from Illinois were nicknamed the Fighting Illini. This was a reference to people from the state. Historically, the Illini were never a tribe, but also a name given to a collection of various native American tribes from central Illinois.

jeesh.

[mrydel]

Johnny Cash knew a boy named Sioux.

[Bergermeister]

The Johnny Cash estate should have to forfeit all past, present and future profits from that song to the Sioux tribe/group/gang/family and all of the boys whose name is Sioux. I never knew Johnny Cash was so insensitive.

[Ikus]

Didn't the NCAA recently also bludgeon William & Mary into changing?
Imagine: the NCAA beats down smaller-revenue schools and looks the other way when major-money programs do the same thing.
That's pretty hard to believe, huh?

[EastStang]

Yeah, William and Mary got slapped for being the "Tribe" which of course can mean anything. Add to that William and Mary was chartered by the King and Queen of England to educate the "Indiginous peoples of America", namely "indians". The NCAA got mad because W&M put two feathers on its logo. I hope ND sues the NCAA using antitrust laws. That is the suit the NCAA has long feared. You may be witnessing the demise of the NCAA because of some do gooder PC Presidents. But you won't if ND files an antitrust action, you'll see the NCAA settle with them so fast it will make your head swim and the NCAA will suddenly drop the program as being too hard to administer. Mark my words.

[ponyte]

Courts generally look to see if the same standard has been applied to all those affected. Given that the NCAA has not set standards and allowed exemptions (FSU) then one would think that UND has a case. We shall see but even if UND succeeds with this case, the NCAA will come back with a vengeance to destroy UND. Big boys are immune while little boys will get crushed. Sad but true of the NCAA.

[MrMustang1965]

The NCAA are a bunch of Nazis. I hope North Dakota scalps 'em. (oh, sorry...was that not p.c.?)

[couch 'em]

On a related note, how many years before we can use "Nazis" was a mascot? We have Vikings who terrorized most of Europe, raping and pilliaging, and many other violent mascots. I say 50 years, minimum.

[EastStang]

Isn't there a school that has the nickname, "Fighting Whities" already?