Chewey

Those are valid points, for sure. However, just simply waiving the white flag to the anti-nickname racists because they have ugly and debasing tactics is not the way to go. Why give in to those tactics and validate them by walking away? Those tactics need to be fought against continually and the petulant PCers will continue to be shown for the racists that they are. A pro-nickname tribal vote (hopefully) in the face of the cynical and shamefully racist tactics that have been employed lately will only be the first public repudiation of the racist negative energy continually expended by the pro-nickname chage nut jobs. You battle ugliness with reason and positivity. The ugliness will reflect on those who employ it and live by its continuous re-invocation. Reasonable people will always see it for what it is and they will judge those employing it accordingly. That's why I say that the pro-nickname changers did the nickname allies a huge favor. The racist venom that is their life's blood prevents them from realizing this. The tactics they employ are unacceptable and reflect an absolute lack of emotional integrity on the part of those using them. They must be opposed and confronted wherever and whenever they employ their overt race-baiting.

I agree. Many Democrats/Liberals favor the nickname and abhor the blatant and unabashed racism practiced by nickname opponents. I think that he was trying to point out that the media unfairly scummed Sarah Palin, where there was no or little basis to do so in many instances, and that the nickname opponents are throwing out baseless accusations and availing themselves of racism - as the media availed itself of sexism when it scummed Sarah Palin - to besmirch the nickname and its supporters, particularly Ralph E. Sarah Palin is not the brightest bulb on the tree and, you're right, reference to her in this debate is a bit of a stretch. And, you're very right in asserting that these racist, petulant tactics by the nickname opponents should not be associated with any self-respecting liberal/Democrat. Those tactics are sick and disturbing and they indicate much about the people employing them.

One really should not be surprised by these tactics. They are the racists and they always have been and always will be. Just look who threw in the racist invective yet again. These people are nut jobs. No evidence that anything derogatory was said by Ralph. No witnesses that can be produced to indicate anything. They basically admit to using racist tactics to get shock value, irrespective of the lack of truthfulness. They use the "PN" term themselves by distributing something with those words on it. These nut cases must be rigorously opposed in all contexts.

The nickname opponents are petrified about the vote, in my opinion. Just look at how their framing it: The supporters of the nickname have all the money in the world to manipulate the reservation populations. How asinine is that. So, the voice of the majority is being heard and that causes "disruption" on campus but constant squawking of a few nickname opponents doesn't? The nickname opponents are really sickening and they are desparate.

The majority is speaking; good for them! The people working so hard on this and fighting to express their majority opinion really have my admiration.

Very interesting reading: www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/110363/ A very good piece of work and it is good to see that the majority is finally getting a say and that their say is being publicized. I guess I don't understand Mr. Longie's position. He seems to indicate that he would change minds against the nickname if he had enough time to propagandize tribal members with his own trumped up claims of rampant "racism" at the school. He says that it's a "matter of education." Does he not see how condescending this is to the tribal members? Is such behavior itself not racist? Good for the people on the Spirit Lake Reservation! I have seen quite a few natives at the Devils Lake mall with Sioux attire on. I just several natives with Sioux gear on at the Sioux-Wisconsin series in Madison this past weekend.

I think you could still use "Chippewa" because you've gotten the approval of the namesake tribe in your state. That's why the NC00 demanded that both of ND's Sioux tribes, as far as I recall. Native Americans are such a part of ND's history that it would be best to retain some native logo, whether it is the Sioux or Chippewa. The fact that a small minority of a minority thinks using such imagery is "hostile and abusive" does not change the fact that the U and its athletes and its fan base are using the imagery respectfully and are using it for purposes of acknowledging and validating the culture/history behind the imagery. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa leadership seems to get this point. The Seminole Nation could, under the NC00 argument, revoke the benefit to use the imagery at any time but it has chosen not to do so. Evidently, they appreciate all of the good benefits the tribe gets, both recognition-wise and financially. Some arrangement like that could be worked out with the TMBC.

Why not be the North Dakota "Fighting Chippewa"? From what I understand, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribal Chairperson and the tribal leadership have no issue with this nickname business. That tribe has been a pretty successful tribe financially with the industry that has been up there and its proximity to Canada. The CAnadians love coming to the casino. I am sure that the tribal leaders there would enjoy working with the university to obtain the potential benefits that are being spurned by the tribal leadership of the other tribes. It would be terrible to lose the Sioux nickname because we've had it for so long but it would not take long to adopt to a new nickname that is similar.

Exactly. If the tribal members believe that they are being "abused" by the nickname, doesn't TREX actually think that such a sentiment would be expressed through a vote? RHHT's position that "I think it is abusive and, therefore, it is for everyone" is exactly the sort of thing that petty tyrants do. True, RHHT does not have people killed and does not participate in the spreading of nuclear weapons but this sort of sentiment is something that he'd probably share with good old Kimmy Jong and the boys.

I agree completely with the group. Let it be put to a vote. I think there are a lot of natives who support the name, as this group does. If this group took enough time to meet publicly about it and cared enough to speak openly about it to the press, I think that speaks volumes. Finally, we have media coverage of what is likely the majority reservation viewpoint. I commend this group. They see that the name is not intended to be disrespectful at all and they see that much good can come out of working with the school. Regardless of anyone's view concerning the outcome, this is a positive. I don't see where the Herald reported this. I am sure if a group had met publicly about changing the name, the Herald would have been all over it. Forum Communications is probably 2 steps away from bankruptcy and it's fishwraps like the Herald that will get FC there.

That's a good point.

Well, the leaders of the tribes are incredibly short-sighted. If they use the example of Florida State, the tribes benefit financially (including the casinos with the additional recognition being attached to the University), the tribes have increased national exposure....there is much to be achieved by a partnership with the state's flagship university. If the tribes do nothing and the name changes, they lose the ability to achieve the benefits of a Florida State kind of arrangement forever. Add to this, that the city of Grand Forks and much of the entire state will be seeing this as a few NA leaders (not the entire tribes hopefully), in league with the UND professors/administrators (and one need not look far to see that memories in Western North Dakota are long when it comes to professors/administrators at the two main universities in the East -- see Measure No. 6 of 1980 - a major flop that booted oil companies out of the state at least 4 years before the market crashed in 1986 - and see the narrow defeat of the proposal to make Minot State "Dakota Northwestern University" in 1984). If the NA leaders don't see that this could harm casino revenues, they may be terribly surprised. Do they really want to partner up with the university professors/administrators on this? The NA leaders had better think long and hard about that, too. If one gets 3 miles west of Grand Forks and Fargo, one finds that 99.9% (instead of 95%) of the people are extremely opposed to all of this PC inspired business. The tribes hopefully are concerned about their relations with the state's population, many of whom are UND grads and feel passionately about the nickname. If ND had a deficit, I think one would see some considerable push for gaming in bars/restaurants like they have in SD. Many in MN are already open to this, not publicly yet, due to MN's huge deficit. I would be surprised if the tribal leaders are so blinded by the "stick it to ya" PC mindset to not see these things. Maybe I'm wrong?

That's right. You can't trust McFeely. See this: http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/i...ection=homepage Rivalry is on the front burner again.

I would not put anything beyond the PC zealots such as Grijalva. I am sure this goes on as my own brother, who just got his PHd in English in May, can attest to. He had to really pump up the PC liberal speak. Now that he's got his phd, he'll have to be careful to stay that way until he gets tenure. Then he can return to normal.....in a few years. Academia is the last place where freedom of ideas and differences of opinion are welcomed. Just look at U of Colorado who is actually funding the search for a conservative professor. You actually have to fund something to go get a conservative minded professor to weigh in against hundreds of PC freak shows on campus? This just bespeaks of how infected academia is with the PC nutjobs.

Why the heck is a law student on the panel?? Maybe it's Jim Grijalva incognito?

I'd trust the blogs way more than the papers.

It's more desolate between Minot and Grand Forks. As one who's driven that passage for over 20 years -- since college -- from MN, I know it well. But, one should try between Minot and Williston or Williston and Havre, MT on for size. A few years ago, two hippies from Lansing, Michigan we taking a RV/camper trip and I saw them getting gas at my uncle's truck stop. It was about 8 at night. They thought that there would be a lot of places to get gas for their gas hog past Williston. I wonder what happened to them.

And there's nothing at all wrong with that. Such an agreement probably should have been in place all along. I don't know if such an arrangement would pass muster with the myopic and angry voices that would cry "sell-out" though; the vast majority of these voices are white professors and administrators with an ax to grind. It's not about just money. Recognition, cultural exposure, the opportunity to teach, in more detail, non-natives about the Sioux heritage, etc. If one is truly concerned about the tribes and about ongoing "racism" it would seem that such things would assuage those concerns and help to redress whatever problems now exist. Of course, it one is just an angry, whimsical, flippant, creatively atrophied college professor who is pissed off at the "white establishment" and who seeks to stick something in someone's eye, such valid points are mere triflings.

That's an insightful letter. I am sure the Seminoles down in FL have some such agreement. He's right. This is an historic opportunity to work with the U and further self-sufficiency. Such an agreement would not be a "sell out". It would bring revenue and recognition and cultural exposure to the tribes. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

Maybe most of your brethren do not suffer from the same racial paranoia and social phobia as you do. You are of the twisted mindset where so-called racial prejudice is read into everything and presumed upon all people. Maybe someone called you a derogatory name. Maybe someone looked at you cross-eyed. Maybe not enough whites attended the Pow-Wow held at the university. Maybe you got a B in a course when you think you should have gotten an A. Maybe someone cut you off driving and flipped you off and you thought it was because that person saw your tribal license plate on your car. Maybe the HP ticketed you and you believed it was because the HP saw your tribal license plate. When I worked on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, there was a lot of baseless controversy about this. By the way, I experienced racial prejudice when I worked up there. By the way, all of the foregoing have happened to me, except I am white. So, all the world is racist because of your paranoia and presumptions and because your feelings may have been hurt a few times? Talk about narcissism and the employment of broad based racial prejudices. Thank God not all of your brethren are like you. Time to grow up, put on your big boy pants and start acting your age, to use a trite saying.

I guess it's better to label people who appreciate the nickname and want to retain it as "racists." If the use of the nickname is, in fact, "racist" why do most of the natives approve of it and why is Ron McNeil afraid to have a reservation-wide vote which, according to him, would affirm that position? Answer: the nickname is not "racist" and Ron McNeil and various PC college professors have some ax to grind against white people. So, will the real racists please stand up and be recognized?

Completely asinine. Who cares if the NCAA gave us 3 years. There is no hope and the tribes will Never, ever agree to anything so why waste time, blah, blah, blah. This guy used to be the second in charge in the state, if you can believe it. Goetz et all need to be told by the alumin association that "you will work for the whole of those 3 years to keep the name and the transition process, if any, will start at the end of that 3 year period."

If majorities of the tribal councils are so opposed and if there is no benefit to be gained by tribal wide votes, how does he come up with this stuff? One of the following: 1. There really is some hope of retaining the nickname under certain conditions; 2. Personal CYA -- Act like he's really working with the tribes to retain the nickname and after a lot of puffery lower the boom on the masses; 3. Tribal Council CYA -- Make it look like the tribal councils have some flexibility but in the end concluded that there's just too much "racism" going around on campus to retain the nickname -- a condition which the nickname supposedly exacerbates. 4. Just talking baloney out of both sides of his mouth to temporarily placate the masses while the PC PR machine figures out the correct language and propaganda to use to lower the boom. 5. Just talking baloney out of both sides of his mouth in the hope that REA will be more amenable to foot the bill for this ridiculous PC insanity. 6. Just plain delusional While I contributed to the lawsuit, we should have either never brought it or went ahead and litigated it to conclusion. If the NC00 had changed its policy afterward, we would have still been in the same position as before it started but we would have had some "loser precedence" against the NC00. While I am not familiar with the specifics of the lawsuit, one would think that there would have been some res judicata effect that would have somewhat militated against the NC00 regarding a change in policy. We shoul probably have told the NC00 to take a flying leap, purchased uniforms for post-season and indicated that we'd work with the tribes on our own regarding the nickname and its retention/retirement. If it's the NC00's policy enacted after the construction of the REA, the NC00 should foot the bill. One would think that there would be a claim for damages there somewhere, although that conceivable claim probably was air-mailed out the door with the settlement.

That would be a great nickname and one with historical ties to ND.