N.D. to Sue NCAA Over Fighting Sioux Name

AP ^ | 6/15/6 | DALE WETZEL

[SmithL]

Williston, N.D. -- North Dakota's Board of Higher Education has decided to sue the NCAA for penalizing the University of North Dakota's use of its "Fighting Sioux" nickname and Indian head logo.

Following a 90-minute, closed meeting with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, the board voted 8-0 Thursday to authorize the lawsuit. Its motion specifies that the lawsuit be financed by privately raised funds rather than taxpayer money.

The NCAA has concluded that the Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo are hostile and abusive to American Indians. UND may not use them during NCAA postseason tournaments, and it may not host a tournament if it continues using them, the NCAA has said.

Stenehjem described the decision as an edict delivered by an NCAA committee that used constantly changing standards in deciding which colleges could continue using nicknames of American Indian origin, and which could not.

The NCAA's constitution requires that major decisions be approved by two-thirds of its college membership, and no vote was ever taken, Stenehjem said.

[SmithL]

Scalp the NCAA

[Mikey_1962]

The same thing happened at Eastern Michigan U.

The chief of the Hurons put out a statement that he was proud that EMU was called the Hurons.

The President of the University changed it on his own.

My Uncle canceled a scholarship in my Grandmother's name.

[Vaquero]

[KarlInOhio]

Please send all complaints about the NCAA's silly rules on Indian names to:

The National Collegiate Athletic Association
700 W. Washington Street
P.O. Box 6222
NativeAmericanapolis, NativeAmericana 46206-6222

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Yay, Fighting Sioux! Glad someone's got some balls. Now if only my Alma Mater, Marquette, would make the right decision and switch back to the Warriors... (dreaming)

[capt. norm]

MAybe something similar to what happened with the FSU "Seminoles" here.

The head of the Seminole Nation (which thoroughly endorses the team name) verbally humiliated the NCAA for "trying to tell Native Americans that they know what's best for them".

[GOP_Party_Animal]

UND's "hateful and abusive" athletics logo:

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"The Fighting Sue"?

[smith288]

ND doesnt make the same money as FSU for the NCAA so the rules applies the same, only differently.

Some are just more equal than others

[newgeezer]

This letter to the NCAA from the university president was posted earlier this week. It's a FANTASTIC read.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

St. John's University in New York changed its name from "Redmen", even though the name itself had nothing to do with indians. (Think "Orangemen" for Syracuse.)

Admittedly their mascot did at one time, although that had already been changed.

[CT-Freeper]

I was just going to mention the REDMEN (being I'm a graduate of SJU), but you beat me to it.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I went to SJU Law.

I do not like the name "Red Storm".

(Although the Red Man mascot [red guy in red tux], that replaced the indian mascot, was the absolute worst.)

[talleyman]

Here's a thought: what if the colleges just told the NCAA to go pound sand? "We all just quit the NCAA."

[Redmen4ever]

I liked the Redmen of St. John's. I felt it attached our school to the tribes of Long Island, and to the fighting spirit of almost all Indians of North America. A high school buddy of mine who also went to St. John's was the mascot when I attended, and he represented our school with pride.

I notice that we have never been anywhere as good on the court since we got rid of the Redmen. We need to bring a medicine man on campus, and beg forgiveness of the Great Spirit for not being brave enough during a time of political correctness.

With regard to the Orangemen of Syracuse University, I may be wrong about this, but I think that refers to the protestants of Ireland.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

13 February 1994, New York Times, pg. A1:

Color Them Red

(...)

The Redmen will soon be no more. In a move toward “political correctness,” the university in Jamaica is changing the name of its sports teams.

(...)

So this will probably be the last season for the Redmen of St. John’s. “Even though the Redmen didn’t come from any Indian connotation,” Mr. (St. John’s University president of the student government Kevin – ed.) Bienemann said. “It started back in the 1920’s, when the football team came out in red uniforms. Someone said, ‘Look at the red men.’ It stuck.”

[Voltage]

Wondering when Illinois will have to change their state name? It's named after the Illini Indians.

[GreenLanternCorps]

My brother will be a Miami Redskin 'til his very last breath...

He hates the name Redhawks...

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Syracuse University student-athletes were called the Orangemen simply because of their orange uniforms, and St. John's University (New York) was originally called the Redmen because they wore cardinal red uniforms. It was only later, after some students went out and stole a cigar store Indian, that people assumed it that the mascot had to do with Native Americans.

Both Syracuse and St. John's have since changed their nicknames -- Syracuse to the Orange and St. John's to the Red Storm.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

GOOD! I'm sick and tired of this P.C. crap!