Indian Activists Protest Sioux Logo

Ken McCracken • September 30, 2009

Tomorrow the State Board of Higher Education is having a conference call to discuss extending their deadline for the Sioux logo and nickname. If you remember right the State Board (appointed by Governor John Hoeven moved the deadline up right after the Spirit Lake tribe gave it’s overwhelming support for UND to continue to honor the Sioux name.
It seems that some people that DON’T care what the tribal members want decided to show up for a chance to get their names in the press.

About 50 people demonstrated outside UND’s Memorial Union on Wednesday. Some carried signs reading, “UND Sioux Logo = Identity Theft,” and “We Demand Our Civil Rights.”
The demonstration comes a day before state board meets to decide whether to extend the Oct 1 deadline for dropping the nickname and logo.
American Indian Movement activist Clyde Bellecourt said they should be dropped because they are racist.

So who are the leaders of this protest. Tu Uyen Tran wrote up a quick listing:

Here’s who will be speaking:
* Concerned Native Students on campus
* David Gipp, President of United Tribes Technical College
* Erich Longie, Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.
* Clyde Bellecourt, American Indian Movement activist for Native rights
* Duane Martin, Sr., Strong Heart Civil Rights Movement
* Denise Lajimodiere, Alum of UND (University of North Dakota)
Most of them are local voices against the nickname, except Bellecourt and Martin, who are big names in what I suppose might be the more militant wing of American Indian civil rights. Both were involved in the 1973 Wounded Knee incident, in which the American Indian Movement took over the town of the same name and engaged in shootouts with the feds.
Bellecourt is a co-founder of AIM, whose brother Vernon was a leader in the fight against Indian nicknames and mascots.
Besides being a member of AIM, Martin is involved in the Strong Heart movement, but I don’t know exactly what that is. I found a couple of news items/press releases in which:
* He “blockaded” a dry reservation to block alcohol from entering; he got arrested for that .
* He joined others in declaring the independence of the Lakota nation — as in making it a foreign country — a purely symbolic move that he and others seem to take very seriously. The Republic of Lakotah has a Web site, which claims, among other things, an ongoing genocide by the U.S. government. Oops. Wrong Web site. This interesting article says Martin has essentially seceeded from the Republic of Lakotah to form the Lakota Oyate.
* He helped found a bank that trades only in silver and gold currency. I suppose this is a way to avoid using U.S. currency.
So the point is nickname opponents are bringing in the big guns, figuratively, to oppose the nickname.

Now most of the people scheduled to speak just disagree with me. That’s OK, they have every right to do so. I have to question why they think that their feelings outweigh even the members of the spirit lake tribe. I’m not saying that the local speakers are bad people, I just disagree with them on this. I don’t know them and they have every right to speak out as they see fit.
But we also have some hard core activists speaking. I think it will interesting to find out if the State Board of Higher Education agrees with Bellecourt who claims that he’s seceeded from the United States or if the agree with the vast majority of the public including the Spirit Lake Tribe who know that UND’s use of the name is honoring the name.
Or does the State Board of Higher Education (appointed by Governor Hoeven) think that we’re all a bunch of racists just like Clyde Bellecourt thinks.

Tags: North Dakota News

http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Bellecourt is a non-entity and AIM is moribund.

Then the State Board of Higher Education, appointed by the mustache, shouldn’t listen to them, right?
ec99

As I posted on Tu’s blog, Bellecourt is a non-entity and AIM is moribund. In a way, he and his minions are a lot like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson: tell them there’ll be a TV camera and they’ll show up. It’s reflective of how PC has drowned out logic when debates are presumed to be decided by an appeal to pity and victimhood. “This offends me” shuts down all discussion and carries the day. Jeeze!
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

IF they were proven to be effective I would accept, for the time, the Clarance Thomas types of Affirmative Action. If you don’t remember he was searched out and recruited to attend a good school.

Due to his humble beginnings he never would have attained so much in his life even though he had the innate ability.

The problem with those programs is even as mild as they don’t go away. In fact they devolve into quota programs which should be objectionable to everyone.
RJ Richards

Did Bellecourt bring a passport since he is a foreign citizen on U.S. soil? Did he use gold and silver at the Student Union for his lunch? Since when do foreign nationals like Bellecourt get to have a voice in the American democratic process (no disrespect President Obama)?

This is ridiculous.

Oh and Whistler, you worded it wrong. It’s not appointed by Gov. Hoeven, it’s appointed by The Moustache. You know, the weasly little liberal in Bismarck.
http://www.bismarckmandanblog.com/ clintf

I say, name the team the “Proud White Guys” and watch the liberal activists come out of the woodwork against THAT “hostile and abusive” logo!
badlands4

And yet, Mr. His Horse is Thunder, STILL will not allow a vote by the general tribe over this issue.

The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says tribal officials will continue to oppose the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname, even if he loses his re-election bid later this month.

So, you have one tribe that has their opinion discarded by the council of another tribe, who will not allow a general vote, because they may lose.

The Spirit Lake Sioux tribe took a vote in April, with 67 percent of voters supporting the nickname and logo.

(MSNBC; Sept)

The Standing Rock Tribal Council has not only opposed the nickname, it also voted to ban a referendum last year.

(August Rapid City Journal)

Let the general tribe have a say! They may agree, but at least then it is a fair representation of the wishes of the entire tribe.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

That’s a good point. I’m against all forms of racism.

On the other hand if those programs actually were working to help the Indian youngsters then maybe they would be worth keeping for a while.

I haven’t seen that they are actually helping but I could have missed the proof.
badlands4

Standing Rock member Steve Fool Bear said he believes a majority of his tribe would vote in favor of the nickname.

“The fact of the matter is, we live in a democratic society,” he said.

(Crookston Daily Times; Sept 18)
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

If, at the same time, The yrurned down all federal and state programs which funneled money into Indian programs which provided set aside for Indians in medicine, law, business, and general admisssion to the university, which now exist.

I would be very against that. The Spirit Lake Tribe voted and were very supportive of the Fighting Sioux name.

Prior to that vote I did hold some bad feelings over the name. Now it’s a completely different thing.

The people to hold responsible are the pencil heads at UND. I’m not blaming the athletic department, but I do blame the illegitimate president and the rest of the academics that have contempt for the population.

And of course the State Board of Higher Education AND the clown that appointed them (John the Stache Hoevene) are to blame as well. Plus I think that Wayne Stenejhem did a very poor job representing UND in the trail against the NCAA.
ec99

“Then the State Board of Higher Education, appointed by the mustache, shouldn’t listen to them, right?”

No, they shouldn’t, But as I’ve said before, the SBHE has consistently over the years been absolutely incompetent. It’s what you get when membership is nothing but a prodeuct of political patronage. They have a long history of inane decisions, from appointing Larry Isaak chancellor, when he had none of the qualifications in the job announcement, to wilting in fron of Ralph E,. to backing the NDSU president over his boss. They remind me a lot of the Alerus commission.
Headward

I still don’t see why we have a board that is appointed. They should be voted on so that way they have to answer directly to the people of ND when tutition goes up or why they voted to stop the Sioux logo(I’m a Bison fan but I love Sioux Hockey).

“UND Sioux Logo = Identity Theft,” and “We Demand Our Civil Rights.”

I’m really wondering what’s wrong with these people. Civil rights when the tribe is refusing a vote. And you don’t have an identity until they change their logo? To think if I just sat around all confused because I didn’t have an identity because of the Vikings.

I’m just waiting for these protesters attack the highway patrol for American Indian head on the sides of their cars.
ec99

“I’m just waiting for these protesters attack the highway patrol for American Indian head on the sides of their cars.”

Deacdes ago, Ayn Rand commented that when you cave into the demands of protestors, it doesn’t stop there. They move on to another demand, and another, and another. So the Indian head will next become the thing to be removed. And after that, change the name of the state.
http://www.undsccc.com/ GregP

I was there, along with a few other friends of mine, against the protest. I received a mention at the end of the AP story, and got interviewed by pretty much every news agency there.

It’s not about the Sioux logo for me, it’s about the voices of the people being heard. It’s a travesty that the Standing Rock tribal council will not let its people’s voices be heard in a poll.
badlands4

It’s not about the Sioux logo for me, it’s about the voices of the people being heard. It’s a travesty that the Standing Rock tribal council will not let its people’s voices be heard in a poll.

Exactly
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

it’s about the voices of the people being heard.

I love how the anti’s think their feelings outweigh the feelings of the majority.
ec99

“I love how the anti’s think their feelings outweigh the feelings of the majority.”

I hope you aren’t surprised. The antis are convinced that anyone who oppose them are just stupid. Like the Alerus people see people critical of them are morons. When you can’t debate logically, you resort to ad hominems, and you don’t realize that you have surrendered the legitimacy of your argument.
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

Clint, it’s been done–a group of native american guys at Northern Colorado-Greeley named their team the “Fighting Whities” and sold t shirts on the internet. It was a hit among the “honky-American” community–they were trying to prove how dehumanizing it was to be named such, and they demonstrated instead how great a sense of humor a lot of people have.

Kinda like a great moment for me was when “In Living Color” spoofed “Vanilla Ice” with a video called “White White Baby.”
ec99

I wouldn’t mind if UND incorporated the nickname “White Guys.” If, at the same time, The yrurned down all federal and state programs which funneled money into Indian programs which provided set aside for Indians in medicine, law, business, and general admisssion to the university, which now exist. But, givem that UND administrators only interest is money. I doubt that will ever happen.
Spartacus

Kinda like a great moment for me was when “In Living Color” spoofed “Vanilla Ice” with a video called “White White Baby.”

In Living Color really did that? Crap, I saw them open for the Rolling Stones during their “Steel Wheels” tour, didn’t care for them, blamed their music for my puking all over the place. Obviously had nothing to do with about 18 Michelobs and a couple of fatties on an empty stomach. I guess in hindsight I have a bit more respect for In Living Color now.
Brent

Say what you will about their obsession with fighting nicknames (which I find profoundly stupid and a big waste of everyone’s time… which is also why I am not at all surprised that this is the front page debate of our times), but don’t diss them for having the balls to tell the feds to go away and to opt for a superior money. After all, we can’t even get our mustache to so much as imply that he disagrees with the federal spend-a-than that has been going on, let alone restrain state spending.
ec99

“I would be very against that.”

So, are you saying you are in favor of set aside openings for Indians at the med, law, and other schools, when other, better qualified, students, are turned away?
ec99

“That’s a good point. I’m against all forms of racism.”

Then you should be against all programs that have set asides based on race. Do want to be treated by a doctor who got into med school due to quotas? Or be represented by a lawyer under such programs?

SayAnythingBlog.com

Indian Activists Protest Sioux Logo

Create a SAB Readerblog

Recent Comments