The "Fighting Sioux" Still Fighting to Keep Logo

Since I do a half hour radio interview each week to a North Dakota audience, and a kid from my New York group attends the University of North Dakota now, I keep an eye out for North Dakota stories. I had this story recently about the University of Minnesota refusing to play North Dakota in all sports except hockey, and today there's this story about the university's fight to retain its "Fighting Sioux" logo:

A $104 million dollar hockey arena may be forced to remove hundreds of images of "The Fighting Sioux," the logo and nickname of the University of North Dakota for more than 70 years, if officials can't reach an agreement with tribal councils.

The university, according to a settlement last month of a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, has three years to negotiate an agreement with two North Dakota Sioux tribes — Spirit Lake and Standing Rock — to receive approval for the continued use of the "Sioux" name and logo.

If an agreement is not reached by 2011, the university will be forced to find a new name and logo.

The hockey arena has hundreds of "Fighting Sioux" logos laid into its granite flooring, imprinted on seating and etched on doors and other areas. If an agreement cannot be reached, they would all have to be replaced.

The Ralph Engelstad Arena is the home of the "Fighting Sioux" men's and women's hockey teams, which have won seven NCAA Division I championships, the last one in 2000.

As you can see from the photo, this is no wimpy or cartoonish Indian logo. This guy's a warrior and represents the courage and cunning of the tribes that carried the Sioux name. I would think they'd be honored to have the school carry that name. The NCAA, however, doesn't really care.

The university, with 12,559 students, including more than 400 Native Americans, wants to keep "The Fighting Sioux" because it represents tradition, pride and strength, said Peter Johnson, a university spokesman.

Hockey remains important to the university and the state, which doesn't have any major professional sports teams.

"It's an interest that transcends the school itself," Johnson said.

The University of North Dakota in 2005 landed on a list of 18 schools in violation of an NCAA policy that prohibits the display of Native American names or images deemed hostile or abusive on team uniforms and items at NCAA championship events.

University officials appealed being placed on the list. In 2006, the NCAA rejected the appeal and kept the university on the violation list. The university then sued the NCAA.

"The university has indicated that it intends to use the current name and logo with the utmost respect and dignity, and only for so long as it may do so with the support of the Native American community," according to a statement by the NCAA, the governing body of collegiate sports.

The organization said it "believes that the time has come to retire Native American imagery in college sports."

For the sake of the university and the tribes I hope they can come to an equitable agreement. It doesn't serve the school to have to develop a whole new identity, and it certainly won't benefit the Sioux to see their warrior thrown out as a symbol of racism.