Using myself as an example, I will respectfully disagree. Growing up in Wisconsin, I heard of the Sioux (the Native Americans, not the school nickname), but that's about all I knew about them. I would bet that that is the case for virtually everywhere else that doesn't live in the northern plains. After coming here, I learned a fair bit about the tribes and some of the unique history and culture they present. If we were never the Sioux nickname, I'm not sure I could say the same, since our nickname is the reason I'm somewhat educated about them.