Well, that’s that.
The University of North Dakota has officially been forced to give up its nickname, “The Fighting Sioux” after eighty years. Keep in mind that UND didn’t even have a mascot, just the nickname and the logo.
Shame, though this is far from the first time the NCAA declared itself to be a moral arbiter in the case of Indian nicknames. A few years ago they even strong-armed a university in my home town, just a little over two miles from my house. Never mind that the nickname came from the school’s founder, J.W. Hunt, who had been born on a Kaw Indian Reservation and wanted to honor them, there were nebulously defined feelings to protect!
One wonders what UND will choose now for their new symbol. Mount Rushmore resides further south and the state is mainly known for Fargo. Seeing as how Minot Air Force Base is located there, they may want to go with Bombers as a new nickname. Perhaps I’ll ask the Review’s resident South Dakotan, Blake Neff, what he thinks.
—Sterling C. Beard
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