North Dakota retiring "Fighting Sioux" nickname

[Matito]

Well, they were originally the Flickertails.

Granted, not exactly a fierce image, but there are teams with worse nicknames out there.

[Joshawaggie]

Isn't there a big Fighting Sioux mosaic in the arena concourse so that changing their identity would be even more expensive? Watch, they'll uninstall the Sioux mosaic only to find that lying beneath it is a giant swastika. Engelstad wins in the end!

Those can be kept. If it's part of the architecture it will be allowed to stay. Unless that has changed too.

[Joshawaggie]

Well, they were originally the Flickertails.

Granted, not exactly a fierce image, but there are teams with worse nicknames out there.

.

Quite a few people want this name back. However, the UND President just mentioned today that they would not go back to the Flickertails. Plus, it's too close to a Gopher.

[Mingjai]

This Gopher fan thinks that it's too bad to see the Sioux nickname go as well.

My vote would be for UND to not adopt a new nickname at all and simply go by North Dakota, allowing individual fans attending the events to call they team whatever they want to. If the fans happen to call the team the Fighting Sioux, the university can't stop them. Further, the school could let the Sioux marks pass into public domain, which would let the fans who happen to call the team the Fighting Sioux make t-shirts and other apparel with the Sioux logo. And the school couldn't stop them from wearing their Sioux apparel to games.

Or here's another thought, UND could not adopt a new nickname and just co-opt the word "Dakota" like North and South Carolina do with "Carolina" as their identity. All sports jerseys replace the Sioux logo and wordmark with "Dakota".

[dgnmrwrw]

My vote would be for UND to not adopt a new nickname at all and simply go by North Dakota, allowing individual fans attending the events to call they team whatever they want to.

Something about this idea really appeals to me.

[Chawls]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your University of North Dakota Marquette Gold!"

I lol'd.

But this really sucks, because I actually had it listed as one of my favorite logos

[Seadragon76]

It's a shame that they are retiring the nickname, but in this time when political correctness is pretty much the status quo, there's nothing you can do about it.

I was thinking that since Grand Forks is on the Red River, the nickname 'RiverHawks' would be perfect for UND when they retire the Fighting Sioux name in a year.

[DustDevil61]

I never said anything about not respecting those who support it, I'm only stating my opinion on the matter as someone with Native American heritage here on this board. I realize others are offended and while I disagree with them, I realize they have thier reasons and will not judge them for that. I just hate how much of an issue it's become. It seems nowadays that any identity that features so much as a feather in it gets blasted for PC. I honestly find the PC more offensive than the identities themselves - it's almost like the sports world will refuse to celebrate Native American heritage, and THAT is offensive to me.

Well said.

Well, FWIW, the Florida Seminoles sought to keep FSU's nickname when other sought to get rid of it, if I'm not mistaken. While I'm about as white as you can get, if the name ties into the area and the local tribe doen't mind, I see no problem. "Redskins" and "Indians" are another thing, but something like "Sioux," "Seminoles," or "Utes," seems to actually be more of an honor, though that's just me.

In fact, I think that all schools with a specific Native American mascot should follow the pattern of the University of Utah. They seem to embrace the "Ute" moniker, while keeping the iconic logo. I'm not sure if they once had a Native American mascot (their current one is now a hawk), but overall, I think they've done pretty well.

Since you're from Utah, Knnhrvy16, hopefully they don't go and hoax the "name-the-team" contest, like a certain college in St. George did.

[Varsity Blue]

People keep saying 'too bad it has to go,' but does it really? I can't believe North Dakota alumni and fans can't push back on this decision and overturn it. If nothing else they can ignore it and keep wearing Fighting Sioux gear.

Whatever name they choose to replace it will be bad.

[AndrewG70]

Fighting Soosaphones --- Yup, I have gone too far.

Yep -- and I bet you have never played the Sousaphone, being that you can't even spell it.

[Waleslax]

I like "Fighting Sue ", but she was found in South Dakota, so that might not work...

[Buster]

What a bunch of bulls**t.

Agreed.

[Proc]

...I still feel like Eastern Michigan (for example) was too hasty in jettisoning the Hurons name. Right or wrong, EMU was the only reason a lot of people even know what a Huron was.

I feel the same. Eastern Michigan was far too quick to pull the plug on the Hurons name. It game people a chance to remember the Huron Tribe. Now, unless you are in 4th grade and read about it in your history book, no one ever hears about the Huron tribe. At least, Central Michigan kept the Chippewa name.

[hettinger_rl]

How about the Nokotas. Not only is it an acronym for North Dakota, but it is also a rare breed of horse that is now only found in ND. The breed is in the midst of being saved and by using them as a mascot it could help get publicity for the cause.

There was an old poll about this:

My link

[BBTV]

My vote would be for UND to not adopt a new nickname at all and simply go by North Dakota, allowing individual fans attending the events to call they team whatever they want to.

Something about this idea really appeals to me.

That's what my school (Indiana, PA) did for a while after they dropped the Indians nickname (though the town, Indiana, didn't have to change its name...)

I thought it was fine, but I guess they felt it was tough to sell merchandise without a mascot / nickname, so they brought back Indians, but adopted a bear as a mascot (facepalm), then dropped everything and rebranded as the "crimson hawks" (facepalm x2). Other finalists for the new name were Oaks, Jumpin' Jimmies (Jimmy Stewart reference), and Fighting Squirrels.

[Gothamite]

People keep saying 'too bad it has to go,' but does it really?

Yes, it does.

If the University can't secure a license from the owners of the name, then they can't use it. NCAA rules, not to mention a little matter of respecting intellectual property.

[oldschoolvikings]

People keep saying 'too bad it has to go,' but does it really?

Yes, it does.

If the University can't secure a license from the owners of the name, then they can't use it. NCAA rules, not to mention a little matter of respecting intellectual property.

Yeah, that's what a lot of people seem to be missing in these cases. Its all "I hate this PC stuff!", which, if we're talking about tribal names (and not "Indians", "Redskins", etc.), is not what this is usually about. The tribe owns the rights to their own name. I don't know how anybody can see that as wrong, or too "PC". If the school can't secure a license from the owners (or in this case, ALL the owners) than that is that.

[Gothamite]

Ah, PC just makes too easy a target, I guess. Tough to look past it.

[Joshawaggie]

How about the Nokotas. Not only is it an acronym for North Dakota, but it is also a rare breed of horse that is now only found in ND. The breed is in the midst of being saved and by using them as a mascot it could help get publicity for the cause.

There was an old poll about this:

My link

I know that name has been floated about from time to time, and it makes perfect sense. However, it sounds bad: North Dakota Nokotas. Just say it, terrible. It's like naming your kid Bronson Johnson.

[gosioux76]

How about the Nokotas. Not only is it an acronym for North Dakota, but it is also a rare breed of horse that is now only found in ND. The breed is in the midst of being saved and by using them as a mascot it could help get publicity for the cause.

There was an old poll about this:

My link

I know that name has been floated about from time to time, and it makes perfect sense. However, it sounds bad: North Dakota Nokotas. Just say it, terrible. It's like naming your kid Bronson Johnson.

Not to mention that the similarly-named Nakota (spelled differently) is also the name of a division of the Sioux tribe, bringing us right back to where this story began.