Tribal Councils Said to Oppose University of North Dakota Appeal
GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Four tribal councils will pass new resolutions opposing the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, according to a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council.
UND is among 17 schools deemed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to have “hostile or abusive” American Indian nicknames or mascots. They are barred from hosting NCAA tournaments and from using the names or imagery in the postseason.
The University of North Dakota has said it will appeal the NCAA restrictions.
Jay Taken Alive, a tribal council member from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, said the four tribal chairmen last week gave their “verbal commitment” to him to oppose UND’s appeal. The tribal leaders had gathered in Bismarck to attend a meeting on education organized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The meeting was attended by tribal council chairmen from Turtle Mountain, Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, Standing Rock and Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. Although not entirely in North Dakota, a portion of Sisseton-Wahpeton lies in the state, he said. Standing Rock also shares the South Dakota-North Dakota border.
Taken Alive said he would soon be meeting the Spirit Lake Tribal Council chairwoman, Myra Pearson, seeking her support on the Fighting Sioux issue.
— Associated Press
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