The University of North Dakota, whose mascot and nickname until recently was the Fighting Sioux, is all in a stir because some students made a reference to the former nickname and ...well, read it here from College Insurrection.
http://collegeinsurrection.com/2014/04/u-north-dakota-sorority-slammed-for-insensitive-display-of-school-spirit/comment-page-1/#comment-5816
Currently, UND has no mascot. They are in a "cooling off" period until next year when a new mascot will be chosen.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was in Bismarck a couple of years back and purchased a UND polo shirt with the logo and mascot, "Fighting Sioux", Indian head and all. It's a great shirt, and I wear it often even when I teach at UC Irvine. Nobody has said boo to me, and it wouldn't matter if they did. I have my own definition of sensitivity, and I don't think the logo or image is disrespectful to Native Americans in any way. Besides, the Sioux were fighters and pretty good at that. Just ask Custer. I mean they were not exactly the "Surrendering Sioux".
In addition, my high school alma mater's nickname used to be the Warriors. That was changed in the name of political correctness to the Wildcats back in the 70s or 80s.
The Wildcats. Now there's a name you can bear with pride.
At any rate, if you thought you would find a university in North Dakota where good old-fashioned common sense prevailed, think again. It will be great to see what nickname they come up with. Remember UND, "The Anteaters" is taken (by UC Irvine).
I got it.
2 comments:
Maybe the team should call itself the "Fighting Israelites."
Its kind of a mixed bag. One satirical cartoon trying to make a point offered team names like "The Pittsburgh Negroes" and the "Kansas City Caucasians." On the other hand, we DO have teams with names like Trojans and Spartans, and the main difference would seem to be that the peoples for whom the teams are named are extinct, or merged into later cultures.
Still, the Macedonians? The Fighting Germans? Well, some teams ARE named the Teutons. One school tried to satirically call themselves "The Fightin' White." Every closet white supremacist in the country wanted to order caps and t-shirts. Eventually everyone will lighten up a bit. Maybe calling the state college team the Sioux will be accepted as honoring one of the cultures from which the state sprang. Gary's comment "Just ask Custer" may move this process along.
Who knows?
Hey! It's not like I hate the Sioux, you know. They were great fighters.
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