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Sioux name should remain
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Also by Tyler Mason:
- McBain opts out of senior year (March 26, 2009)
- UW must fix season-long mistakes (March 25, 2009)
- UW finishes 3rd at WCHA finals (March 22, 2009)
- Jamie McBain named WCHA Player of the Year (March 22, 2009)
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Some things in sports just don’t make sense to me. For example, how is a team nickname like the Fighting Sioux offensive, but the name Redskins or a logo such as the Cleveland Indians’ is not? Struggling to find answers? So am I. Just last week, a lawsuit was settled between the North Dakota Board of Higher Education and the NCAA regarding the University of North Dakota’s use of the Sioux tribal name and logo. The school found out that they have three years to either gain the tribe’s approval to use the “Fighting Sioux” name or else they will have to get rid of it. Not to bore you with historical facts in a sports column, but at least a little bit of background information is necessary to understand the terms of the dispute. The Sioux tribe, also known as the Dakota at one point, called several states home, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. Many famous and important Native Americans were members of the Sioux, including Chief Sitting Bull and Chief Crazy Horse. Clearly, the Sioux played an important role in American history. Why is it, then, that honoring these people is considered offensive? Why is the University of North Dakota being singled out? There are worse team names and mascots out there. Take the Washington Redskins, for instance. If there’s a more blatant example of racism in American sports, I’d like to know. I can’t understand how the NFL team continues to get away with a nickname that stereotypes a certain race with what many people would regard as a derogatory phrase. They were even taken to trial in 2003 to revoke the trademark, but there was apparently not enough evidence to prove that the name was in fact disparaging. The Cleveland Indians, too, have what could be argued as both a racist name — it’s often debated what the politically correct term is — and a racist logo in the smiling Chief Wahoo. Other teams, such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Braves also use the names of various tribes or aspects of Native American culture. But in my mind, these names are used to honor those they depict. The Blackhawks, for example, are named after Chief Black Hawk, a prominent Native American in Illinois history. The use of Native Americans in sports doesn’t stop at the professional level. Plenty of other colleges beside North Dakota use tribal names as their nickname. The Florida State Seminoles, Illinois Illini, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Utah Utes all pay homage to Native Americans in their school’s monikers, yet none of them have been forced to change their names (the Seminoles approved the images used by Florida State and their team nickname). Illinois, however, recently had to do away with its mascot, Chief Illiniwek, after 81 years. If North Dakota does want to keep the nickname, part of the stipulation is that they gain approval from the tribe. This shouldn’t be a problem, as it was shown in a survey conducted two years ago by the Fargo Forum that 95 percent of the state’s residents are not offended by either the name or the logo. Fair enough, you might say, but what about the Native American population of North Dakota in particular? Sixty-one percent of that segment of the population took no offense by the school’s use of their tribe. This raises an important question: Should that remaining 39 percent of those offended be enough to evoke change in the university? In my opinion, no. There is nothing wrong with the majority of team names that use Native American tribes, and the Sioux are no exception. When teams chose a mascot, they often pick one that is a tough or fierce competitor (except for maybe teams like the Minnesota Golden Gophers, whose mascot looks more like a chipmunk). In doing so, the person or people being used in the nickname or mascot are being honored as such. The only names or mascots I take issue with are the Redskins and Indians, neither of which do any merit in honoring or respecting Native Americans. If the team is forced to change its name, much work will have to be done to remove all signs of it, although that shouldn’t be a deciding factor in the decision. It’s estimated that the Ralph Engelstad Arena, home to the hockey team, contains nearly 3,000 Fighting Sioux logos throughout. Imagine that many Bucky Badgers in the Kohl Center. When the Fighting Sioux hockey team comes to town next weekend to take on the Badgers, I’m expecting a great game between two WCHA teams. The controversy over their name will be the least of my concerns. I’ll be too busy worrying about what’s going on down on the ice. Tyler Mason is a junior majoring in journalism. If you would like to share your thoughts on racism in sports, or truly believe a Gopher is a tough mascot, you can e-mail him at tmason@badgerherald.com.
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This is an NCAA issue. While Redskins and Indians may be insensitive names, the inability of the NFL and MLB to act does not excuse the existence of the “Fighting Sioux” nickname. If you take note, the NCAA allows such nicknames if the local relevant tribe approves. There are 2 Sioux tribes in the area today and neither of them approves the use of that nickname. Hence the requirement for change. Seems obvious and right to me.
Did you pay attention to any research you did for this article at all? If you did, you’d know that many Native Americans are offended by the “Fighting Sioux” moniker, as well as those of the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Indians, and others. The Sioux in particular don’t like the way they’re depicted by UND, Illinois actually makes fun of the Illini tribe with their made-up rituals, Florida State had to get special approval from the Seminole tribe, and a great many universities changed their nicknames in response to complaints from Native Americans.
You people don’t get it. A. It is all to do with money — Florida gets to keep the name with only a small band of Seminoles in the state who received a % of the sales of Florda State products (rest of the Seminoles in OK are not in favor of the use of the name) and they are “big time” NCAA school so the NCAA can’t piss them off. And it is ok for a white person to parade around in Indian paint and toss a spear to the ground. Sounds hostile to me.
B. Talk about getting your facts straight. You all should do a little more research on the tribes. There are actually 3 Sioux tribes in ND with the closest being Spirit Lake — the other 2 Standing Rock (1/4 in ND and 3/4 in SD) and Wahpeton/Sisston tribe (part in SD and ND). Why do we have to have 2 tribes approval when all the rest only had to have 1. We have the blessing from Spirit Lake since 2000.
C. There is a 4th tribe the Teton Sioux on the West side of the state. This tribe is the name used by the Williston State Tetons. Funny how the Native Americans in the Dakotas are called a French name “Sioux” meaning snake but guess what the Tetons is also a French name given to the Teton Mountains because they looked like “Tits”. Look it up. Noone is making any hostile or abusive claims to that name which is more insulting then a snake.
Mascots too often are the only exposure people have to Native Americans, leaving many to think that 1) all natives are dead 2) all natives dress in traditional dress 3) it is appropriate to mock sacred tribal customs… etc. That is why mascots remain an issue. It is still acceptable to lampoon native culture, and mascots feed into this ignorance. Additionally, I would have been more impressed with the article if you had looked up more than two famous Sioux names.
the mascots have nothing to do with the natives who are alive today. they are representative of important figures in history (as the author of this article points out). people need to quit whining about every single little thing. i think the mascots (including the redskins, indians, etc) are there to honor people, not to make fun of them.
Correction: UND doesn’t have the support of any tribe. From the Grand Forks Herald, 9/11/07:
NICKNAME LAWSUIT: NCAA asks judge to reconsider case order
In its “Motion for Partial Reconsideration,” the NCAA argues UND itself may have violated NCAA bylaws, making it ineligible to bring its case.
The motion accuses UND of misleading the NCAA during its administrative appeals process by consistently claiming the Spirit Lake Sioux Nation supports UND’s continued use of its nickname.
A 2000 Spirit Lake Tribal Council resolution states: “as long as something positive comes from this controversy, (the tribe is) not opposed to keeping the ‘Sioux’ name and present logo at UND.”
UND consistently has maintained that the resolution should be read as a vote of support for the nickname, but tribal officials did not respond to several NCAA requests for clarification on the tribe’s position.
In an Aug. 13 interview with the Herald, Spirit Lake Tribal Chairwoman Myra Pearson said she reads the resolution as neither supporting nor opposing the nickname. She said she does not expect the Tribal Council to clarify its position or to reconsider the nickname issue.
Mason may be struggling for answers, but the rest of us aren’t. The NCAA obviously doesn’t have jurisdiction over the Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, and other professional teams. These teams continue to insult and stereotype Indians.
The fact that schools pressured the NCAA to reverse itself in the Seminole and Ute cases doesn’t change the correctness of the NCAA’s position. The original decision was based on facts and evidence; the revised decision is based on politics and money.
Finally, it’s Mason’s opinion only that the teams are “honoring” Indians. Many Indians dispute the so-called honor. See “Smashing People: The ‘Honor’ of Being an Athlete” (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/athletes.htm) for more on the subject.
The majority does not rule. Humanity rules. For those of you who love this logo. Get something important in your life to be involved in. We all have to answer to our creator and hate is not something one should be proud of.
Do people who want this logo and nickname realize how backward and small minded this makes ND appear? Time have changed either change with them or check out. As Indian people had to suffer at the expense of the white peoples hatred for us…now a little taste of your own medicine is awful bitter to swallow,and you are crying like little babies. Grow up!