North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Encyclopedia
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are the athletic teams of the University of North Dakota
(UND), which is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota
, in the United States
. The logo is a Native American
figure. The logo was designed by Bennett Brien, a local artist and UND graduate of Ojibwa
ethnicity.
for men's and women's ice hockey, and Conference USA
for men's and women's swimming & diving.
On November 1, 2010 the university accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference
. In June 2011, the Big Sky warned UND about the ramifications of continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, including possible removal from the conference.
Women's sports
.
. The arena has been called one of the greatest hockey facilities in the world.
", but was changed to "The Sioux" officially in 1930 ("Fighting" was added later). Guest editorials that appeared at that time in the UND student newspaper, the Dakota Student
, noted that (1) "Sioux are a good exterminating agent for Bison" (the mascot of the nearby North Dakota State University
team), (2) "They are warlike, of fine physique and bearing", and (3)"The word Sioux is easily rhymed for yells and songs". The choice of the name was also influenced by the Fighting Irish athletic teams of the University of Notre Dame
(another "UND").
.
In 1999, a bill was introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives
to eliminate the nickname, but died in committee. In 2000, twenty-one separate Native American-related programs, departments, and organizations at UND signed a statement opposing the continued use of the nickname and logo, saying that it did not honor them or their culture.
Former Fighting Sioux hockey player and wealthy alumnus Ralph Engelstad
donated $100 million dollars for the construction of the Ralph Engelstad Arena
. This is one of the largest philanthropic donations ever made to a public institution of higher learning. One of Engelstad's conditions for his donation was that the University keep the Fighting Sioux name indefinitely. Engelstad placed thousands of Fighting Sioux logos in numerous places throughout the arena to make physical removal of the logo very costly if attempted. The arena opened in 2001.
The debate reignited in 2005, following a decision by the NCAA to sanction schools with tribal logos and/or nicknames, including UND, that the NCAA deemed to be "hostile and abusive." The sanctions would not allow schools like UND to use their names or logos in post-season play and those schools would not be able to host post-season championships. After an unsuccessful appeal to reverse the sanctions, UND started to pursue their legal options. On June 15, 2006, after consulting with North Dakota Attorney General
Wayne Stenehjem
, the Board of Higher Education elected 8-0 to authorize Stenehjem to sue the NCAA for penalizing the UND over its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. In November 2006, UND was granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the NCAA from enforcing the rule. On October 26, 2007, a settlement between UND and the NCAA was reached preventing the case from going to trial. The settlement gives UND three years to gain support from the state's Sioux tribes to continue to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. If that support is not granted at the end of the three years, UND will retire the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, remove most of the existing Fighting Sioux imagery in campus facilities, and pick a new nickname and logo to represent UND's athletic teams.
On May 14, 2009, The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved a motion directing UND to retire “Fighting Sioux” nickname and logo, effective October 1, 2009, with full retirement to be completed no later than August 1, 2010. This directive was to be suspended, if, prior to October 1, 2009, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe gave namesake approval consistent with the terms of the Settlement Agreement. After extending the deadline for meeting this condition once, to November 30, 2009, the Board on April 8, 2010, unconditionally ordered UND to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname at the end of the 2010–11 season.
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education announced on April 8, 2010, that the Fighting Sioux nickname would be retired after the 2010–2011 athletic season. The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted unanimously on Monday, May 10, to extend the deadline for the University of North Dakota to retire its nickname and logo to Aug. 15, 2011.
On March 11, 2011, the North Dakota Senate voted to approve legislation ordering the University of North Dakota to retain its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo. The vote was 28-15 with four senators absent and not voting. Governor Jack Dalrymple
signed the Fighting Sioux bill into law the following week. This law was struck down during a special session of the legislature in November 2011.
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
(UND), which is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The logo is a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
figure. The logo was designed by Bennett Brien, a local artist and UND graduate of Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
ethnicity.
Athletics
UND began transitioning to NCAA's Division I in 2008. The football program is in Division I's Football Championship Subdivision and participate as members of the Great West Conference for most sports, as well as the Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationWestern Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
for men's and women's ice hockey, and Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
for men's and women's swimming & diving.
On November 1, 2010 the university accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
. In June 2011, the Big Sky warned UND about the ramifications of continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, including possible removal from the conference.
Sports
Men's sports- BaseballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux baseballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux baseball team is a part of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The team is a member of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference. The current Fighting Sioux baseball head coach is Jeff Dodson...
- BasketballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux basketballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball teams are parth of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference since the 2008-2009 season. Previously they played in Division II's North Central...
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- EquestrianEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
(2012) - FootballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux footballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux are a college football program that competes in the Great West Conference in the NCAA Division I's Football Championship Subdivision...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice hockey
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
(2012) - Track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
Women's sports
- BasketballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux basketballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball teams are parth of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference since the 2008-2009 season. Previously they played in Division II's North Central...
- Cross countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice hockeyNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux women's ice hockeyThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux women's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
- SoccerNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux soccerThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux soccer team is part of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference. The current Sioux soccer head coach is Kristin Gay. The public address announcer for the soccer...
- SoftballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux softballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux softball team is a part of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference. The program only includes a women's team. The current Fighting Sioux softball head coach is...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- VolleyballNorth Dakota Fighting Sioux volleyballThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux volleyball team is a part of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference. The team has won 2 consecutive Great West Conference regular and post-season titles ....
Football
The men's football program has also been growing in stature and popularity in recent years. All home football games are held in the Alerus CenterAlerus Center
The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Grand Forks and opened on February 10, 2001. The arena's major tenant is the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team. The arena also...
.
Ice hockey (men's)
Having won seven national championships, the men's hockey team is easily the most recognized and enshrined of all teams at UND. They play in the $100+ million Ralph Engelstad ArenaRalph Engelstad Arena
For the arena with the same name in Thief River Falls, Minnesota see Ralph Engelstad Arena .For the pre-2001 arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota see Ralph Engelstad Arena ....
. The arena has been called one of the greatest hockey facilities in the world.
Origin
UND's nickname was originally "The FlickertailsRichardson's Ground Squirrel
Richardson's ground squirrel , or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus...
", but was changed to "The Sioux" officially in 1930 ("Fighting" was added later). Guest editorials that appeared at that time in the UND student newspaper, the Dakota Student
Dakota Student
The Dakota Student is the student-run newspaper publication of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The newspaper was first published in 1888, but went through several short lived name changes. It grew out of a publication of the UND Adelphi Literary Society named The...
, noted that (1) "Sioux are a good exterminating agent for Bison" (the mascot of the nearby North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
team), (2) "They are warlike, of fine physique and bearing", and (3)"The word Sioux is easily rhymed for yells and songs". The choice of the name was also influenced by the Fighting Irish athletic teams of the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
(another "UND").
Controversy
Critics of the name say that it is a racist stereotype, while supporters maintain it is inoffensive and a source of pride. Over the years, the debate has proven to be a divisive issue at the University. The movement to keep the nickname and logo is led by UND alumni, sports fans, and athletic players and officials, as well as the present university administration. The campaign to change the nickname and logo is led by several Native American tribes and student organizations, as well as many UND faculty members. There are two Native American Tribes that were never asked to be a part of a settlement between UND and the NCAA here is an excerpt from the agreement... “WHEREAS, UND recognizes that North Dakota Sioux Tribes, as the descendants of the indigenous people of the Northern Great Plains who UND strives to honor with its nickname, have important contributions in determining whether, to what extent and in what manner the “Sioux” name and the “Fighting Sioux” nickname or logo should continue to be used in conjunction with the athletic tradition at UND: and” Spirit Lake Tribe ( A Dakota Sioux Tribe) and the only Sioux Tribe fully within the state of North Dakota had a vote which the people spoke up in favor of the use and the "GIFT" that was given to UND by both tribe (Spirit Lake and Standing Rock) back in the 1930's. As far as many tribal members are concerned the name was given as a gift and it was reafirmed in a Pipe Ceremony (THE MOST SACRED OF TRIBAL TRADITIONS) and they feel that is not necessary for them to regive a gift that has already been given. The NCAA has refused to recognize that gift. The most powerful ally of those seeking change has become the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
.
In 1999, a bill was introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives
North Dakota House of Representatives
The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate....
to eliminate the nickname, but died in committee. In 2000, twenty-one separate Native American-related programs, departments, and organizations at UND signed a statement opposing the continued use of the nickname and logo, saying that it did not honor them or their culture.
Former Fighting Sioux hockey player and wealthy alumnus Ralph Engelstad
Ralph Engelstad
Ralph Engelstad was the multi-millionaire owner of the Imperial Palace casino-hotels in Las Vegas and in Biloxi, Mississippi and the Klondike Hotel & Casino...
donated $100 million dollars for the construction of the Ralph Engelstad Arena
Ralph Engelstad Arena
For the arena with the same name in Thief River Falls, Minnesota see Ralph Engelstad Arena .For the pre-2001 arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota see Ralph Engelstad Arena ....
. This is one of the largest philanthropic donations ever made to a public institution of higher learning. One of Engelstad's conditions for his donation was that the University keep the Fighting Sioux name indefinitely. Engelstad placed thousands of Fighting Sioux logos in numerous places throughout the arena to make physical removal of the logo very costly if attempted. The arena opened in 2001.
The debate reignited in 2005, following a decision by the NCAA to sanction schools with tribal logos and/or nicknames, including UND, that the NCAA deemed to be "hostile and abusive." The sanctions would not allow schools like UND to use their names or logos in post-season play and those schools would not be able to host post-season championships. After an unsuccessful appeal to reverse the sanctions, UND started to pursue their legal options. On June 15, 2006, after consulting with North Dakota Attorney General
North Dakota Attorney General
The North Dakota Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the North Dakota state government. The current Attorney General is Wayne Stenehjem...
Wayne Stenehjem
Wayne Stenehjem
Wayne Stenehjem is a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He is the current Attorney General of the state, serving since 2000.-Biography:...
, the Board of Higher Education elected 8-0 to authorize Stenehjem to sue the NCAA for penalizing the UND over its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. In November 2006, UND was granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the NCAA from enforcing the rule. On October 26, 2007, a settlement between UND and the NCAA was reached preventing the case from going to trial. The settlement gives UND three years to gain support from the state's Sioux tribes to continue to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. If that support is not granted at the end of the three years, UND will retire the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, remove most of the existing Fighting Sioux imagery in campus facilities, and pick a new nickname and logo to represent UND's athletic teams.
On May 14, 2009, The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved a motion directing UND to retire “Fighting Sioux” nickname and logo, effective October 1, 2009, with full retirement to be completed no later than August 1, 2010. This directive was to be suspended, if, prior to October 1, 2009, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe gave namesake approval consistent with the terms of the Settlement Agreement. After extending the deadline for meeting this condition once, to November 30, 2009, the Board on April 8, 2010, unconditionally ordered UND to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname at the end of the 2010–11 season.
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education announced on April 8, 2010, that the Fighting Sioux nickname would be retired after the 2010–2011 athletic season. The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted unanimously on Monday, May 10, to extend the deadline for the University of North Dakota to retire its nickname and logo to Aug. 15, 2011.
On March 11, 2011, the North Dakota Senate voted to approve legislation ordering the University of North Dakota to retain its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo. The vote was 28-15 with four senators absent and not voting. Governor Jack Dalrymple
Jack Dalrymple
John "Jack" Dalrymple is a North Dakota politician and businessman who is the current Governor of North Dakota, and a one-time candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. Dalrymple became governor after the resignation of John Hoeven, who was elected to the U.S...
signed the Fighting Sioux bill into law the following week. This law was struck down during a special session of the legislature in November 2011.
See also
- Fighting Sioux Sports NetworkFighting Sioux Sports NetworkThe Fighting Sioux Sports Network is a local cable channel operated in Grand Forks, North Dakota by the University of North Dakota in conjunction with WDAZ-TV also based in Grand Forks...
- Native American mascot controversyNative American mascot controversyThe propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s.Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century...
- List of sports team names and mascots derived from Indigenous peoples