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=Stay the SAME, Keep the NAME! = **Introduction:** Stephanie and her friends rose out of their seats at the home opener hockey game at the Ralph Englestad Arena at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks on a chilly night in October. After each of the players were announced from both teams, the entire stadium boomed with noise as the home section audience stood up and sang together the school’s fight song: Fight on Sioux, we're all for you We're thousands of strong and loyal souls We know you'll win every game you're in No matter how distant the goals As we go, we'll show each foe that We're the toughest team between the poles We're rough and tough it's true But we're sportsmen through and through We're the fighting Sioux from North Dakota U (“History of the”). As the song ended, Stephanie and her friends sat down and awaited the start of the game so they could cheer on their “Fighting Sioux”. The Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota have been undergoing a mascot name change for the past ten years. The name “Sioux” has been the universities official school mascot since 1930, almost 80 years. Native Americans across the country complain about schools who use Native American names for their mascots. They claim they are degrading and disrespectful to Native American people, and many negotiate ways to eliminate the mascot names. **The names of mascots should not be eligible for negotiation because of the financial burden it would put on the institution.

**  The University of North Dakota was established in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state, by the Dakota Territorial Assembly and is the oldest university in the state. When the school first opened up in 1883 its school mascot was the “Flicker Tails,” some say a “flicker tail” was a small brown squirrel that was found roaming the northern plains. After a few years of being called the “Flicker Tails”, the school decided that the name was not fitting enough for their athletic teams and switched the name over to the North Dakotan “Nodaks.” The “Nodaks” was never an official name; the school merely just used it instead of using the name “Flicker Tails”. In early 1930 a student suggested that the school changed the mascot name once again, from the North Dakotan “Nodaks” to the “Fighting Sioux.” They suggested the “Sioux” because the Sioux Indians of North Dakota were fighters and the students believed that the name would put fear in opponents eyes, especially the schools rival school, the North Dakota State University Bison, because the Sioux Indians used to fight off the bison in order to eat and stay warm (“History of the”).

There was some controversy over the name concerning Native Americans and being disgraceful to them. Some thought that the name would be disrespectful since the Sioux Indians have no direct relation to the school but others thought that the name would pull together strong school spirit. In the fall of 1931 the University of North Dakota’s Athletic Board officially changed their mascot name from the “Flicker Tails” to the “Fighting Sioux” (“History of the”).

The name caused no real dilemmas during its first few years of existence. In fact, people loved the name and many traditions were in the making such as the “Sioux Line Club” and the “Sioux Burger” in the cafeteria. The main reason there had been no controversy over the new name is because there had been few Native American students attending the university at this time. In 1960, a group of Native American students began to question whether or not the name was appropriate. It was not a big deal to many and was easily looked over, up until the 1990’s when there were over 300 Native Americans attending the University and problems began to arise. This is when it all started.



 The University of North Dakota became an official school in 1883 which was six years before North Dakota became a state. The schools official school mascot name was the "Flicker Tails." They unofficially changed the mascot name from the "Flicker Tails" to the "Nodaks" in 1886. In 1930 a student suggested that the school changed the mascot name once more to the "Fighting Sioux." In 1960 a group of Native American students who atteneded the school began to question whether or not the name was appropriate. Thirty years later in 1990 there were 300 Native Americna students attending the University. These students began to challenge the name "Sioux." Today the school mascot name is still undergoing a name change.  **Legislation/Facts and/or Statistical Information:** Today there are still 2,500 schools using Native American mascot names. Only certain schools are being challenged to change their names. It all depends on location.
 * History/Chronology of Events:**

The University of North Dakota has no direct correlation to the "Sioux" tribe. This brings up debates about whether or not the school has the right to use the nickname.

The AIM (American Indian Movement) is a group of activist working towards the common goal of protecting Native American rights all around the world. The group was founded in Minneapolis Minnesota and focuses on the rights of Native North Americans. They travel from reservation to reservation across the world spreading their message about Native American rights.

At the University of Illinois, who were originally known as the Fighting Indians, but are now known as the Fighting Illini has never had a harassment issue. Investigators at the school while they were undergoing their name change interviewed the Native American students at the school and announced that, “ The department interviewed 16 of 45 Indian students at the university and said two of those reported having been racially harassed” (“Mascot Ruling Upsets”). Concluding that quote, harassment might just be a hoax. On the other hand, in 1994 when different Native American students were interviewed different responses were gathered. “The Education Department began to investigate the matter in the spring of 1994, after several Indian students and faculty members complained. The students later said they had received death threats and had been called racist names for publicly opposing the mascot” (“Mascot Ruling Upsets”). Though some were not being harassed, others still were.
 * Case Study:**

**Biographical Sketches:** Mary Crow Dog, from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota said after a visit from the AIM, The American Indian Movement hit our reservation like a tornado, like a new wind blowing out of nowhere, a drumbeat from far off getting louder and louder. It was almost like the Ghost Dance fever that had hit the tribes in 1890. … I could feel this new thing, almost hear it, smell it, and touch it. Meeting up with the AIM for the first time loosened a sort of earthquake inside me (Moore123). Crow Dog is a significant figure to this research because she explained how much effect the American Indian Movement has on Native American people which is imporant to know because getting a feel for the other side of a situation is helpful while supporting one side or the other. Cheif Mary Crow Dog from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. (Google Images)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a voluntary association that makes the athletic decisions for all colleges and universities in the United States of American as well as Canada. The NCAA got itself involved with the mascot name change controversy when they tried to demand rules banning schools that have Native American mascot names from tournaments. The NCAA caused many problems for schools who had Native American mascots and caused delemas across the country.

an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Glossary of Terms: **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Mascot- NOUN;

Indian- NOUN; also called American Indian, Amerind, Amerindian, Native American. A member of the aboriginal people of America or of any of the aboriginal North or South American stocks, usually excluding the Eskimos.

University- NOUN; an institution of learning of the highest level, having a college of liberal arts and a program of graduate studies together with several professional schools, as of theology, law, medicine, and engineering, and authorized to confer both undergraduate and graduate degrees || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Guide to Further Research:** - Global Issues in Context - Opposing Viewpoints - Issues and Controversies
 * Recommended Research Databases**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"History of the Fighting Sioux Name at UND." //Times//: //Global Issues in// //Context//. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. Bousquet, Steve. "NCAA Mascot Controversy; Preparing To Fight All Sides Offended." //St. Petersburg// //Times// 11 Aug. 2005: //Global Issues in// //Context//. 19 Oct. 2009. Moore, John Ed. //American Indian Movement//. Detroit: 2001. //Global// //Issues in Context//. 21 Oct. 2009.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Print Sources **

NCAA vs. Seminoles <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]
 * Recommended Websites**

Indian Mascots and Common Courtesy []

Rethinking Indian Mascots []