How will you vote June 12th?

[NV SIOUX]

I do not reside in North Dakota, but if I did I would vote "No" on Measure 4. I did not vote on this forum. I believe all parties concerned deserve their voices/votes to be accounted for. This however, has not been the case. Shame on the University of North Dakota, the ND SBOHE, and the NCAA, for not initially including the two Tribes that proudly own the name in the discussions. The whole process of Measure 4 and from there forward is the only means to fairly account for the people opinions that matter the most in this issue, the people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the people of The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe. These people have not been given a proper opportunity to speak from the beginning discussions of retiring the name. It is their name, they deserve to be accounted for. Shame on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council as well for not allowing their people's voices to be heard through a vote.

[yababy8]

Injustice is the wrong word (see: Federal court rulings).

An inequity? Yes, but contrary to what you may hear, all things in life aren't equal.

My opinion? See my signature.

I meant to ask 82siouxguy but since you threw out inequity, is that the strongest word you find fitting?

And yes inequity is cenral to the very being of life in the universe..

[yababy8]

I do not reside in North Dakota, but if I did I would vote "No" on Measure 4. I did not vote on this forum. I believe all parties concerned deserve their voices/votes to be accounted for. This however, has not been the case. Shame on the University of North Dakota, the ND SBOHE, and the NCAA, for not initially including the two Tribes that proudly own the name in the discussions. The whole process of Measure 4 and from there forward is the only means to fairly account for the people opinions that matter the most in this issue, the people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the people of The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe. These people have not been given a proper opportunity to speak from the beginning discussions of retiring the name. It is their name, they deserve to be accounted for. Shame on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council as well for not allowing their people's voices to be heard through a vote.

This is a great consideration. After 10 years, one time for the people. One time!

[82SiouxGuy]

I meant to ask 82siouxguy but since you threw out inequity, is that the strongest word you find fitting?

And yes inequity is cenral to the very being of life in the universe..

I don't consider it fair that UND has to give up the nickname. But I was taught at a young age that life wasn't always fair. If life was fair then you would always get rewarded if you work hard, it doesn't always happen. If life was fair then criminals and bad people would always get punished, they don't. Life isn't fair. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. You take the cards that you're dealt and do the best that you can with those cards. And sorry, I can't separate the penalties from the loss of the nickname. Again, in real life you have penalties to pay for your actions. UND has to pay the penalty if the nickname is kept. There isn't a way to separate the two.

[82SiouxGuy]

I do not reside in North Dakota, but if I did I would vote "No" on Measure 4. I did not vote on this forum. I believe all parties concerned deserve their voices/votes to be accounted for. This however, has not been the case. Shame on the University of North Dakota, the ND SBOHE, and the NCAA, for not initially including the two Tribes that proudly own the name in the discussions. The whole process of Measure 4 and from there forward is the only means to fairly account for the people opinions that matter the most in this issue, the people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the people of The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe. These people have not been given a proper opportunity to speak from the beginning discussions of retiring the name. It is their name, they deserve to be accounted for. Shame on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council as well for not allowing their people's voices to be heard through a vote.

First, the tribes shouldn't have the power to force UND to keep the nickname. The tribes really don't have much to lose if UND retires the nickname, but because of the sanctions UND does have a lot to lose by being forced to keep the nickname. Spirit Lake had more than a year to stop this issue after the Native American policy was first announced. All they had to do was send a letter to the NCAA saying that they didn't object to UND using the name. A single letter that would have prevented the last 5 years of nonsense. They refused to send the letter. So don't say that they didn't get a chance to speak. Standing Rock also had a chance to speak. They had from October 2007 to November 30, 2010 to speak. The tribe made a decision just like most governments make decisions, the governing body made the decision. They were not obligated to let the people speak. Have you ever had a chance to vote on a decision made by the United States Government? No you have not. Their government had the same opportunity. They chose to oppose the nickname, just like they have multiple times since 1992.

I will repeat again, we have reached a point where there are 2 options. Force UND to keep the nickname and watch the athletic department suffer damages, or allow UND to retire the nickname and let the athletic department move forward. Those are the 2 options. Forcing the athletic department to suffer damages because of a sports nickname is not acceptable to me.

[NV SIOUX]

First, the tribes shouldn't have the power to force UND to keep the nickname. The tribes really don't have much to lose if UND retires the nickname, but because of the sanctions UND does have a lot to lose by being forced to keep the nickname. Spirit Lake had more than a year to stop this issue after the Native American policy was first announced. All they had to do was send a letter to the NCAA saying that they didn't object to UND using the name. A single letter that would have prevented the last 5 years of nonsense. They refused to send the letter. So don't say that they didn't get a chance to speak. Standing Rock also had a chance to speak. They had from October 2007 to November 30, 2010 to speak. The tribe made a decision just like most governments make decisions, the governing body made the decision. They were not obligated to let the people speak. Have you ever had a chance to vote on a decision made by the United States Government? No you have not. Their government had the same opportunity. They chose to oppose the nickname, just like they have multiple times since 1992.

I will repeat again, we have reached a point where there are 2 options. Force UND to keep the nickname and watch the athletic department suffer damages, or allow UND to retire the nickname and let the athletic department move forward. Those are the 2 options. Forcing the athletic department to suffer damages because of a sports nickname is not acceptable to me.

82SiouxGuy has made valid points and I certainly am not hear to argue with him or anyone else. When did all parties concerned sit and discuss the name issue? This never happened and that has lead to this point. A voting process will let the name issue be decided fairly with all ND voter eligible citizens allowed to be accounted for. Let this process take its full course. Will UND potentially suffer some damage, yes. However, UND I do not believe they would be in this position had they included the two tribes at the table of discussions from the very start of this. The UND Administration has hurt the effort in retaining the name, and not lobbied well to retain the name. Which leads me to believe President Kelley never liked the name upon his arrival at UND, nor does he know the history, pride, love, respect, conviction, and tradition the supporters have for the Fighting Sioux name.

[The Sicatoka]

However, UND I do not believe they would be in this position had they included the two tribes at the table of discussions from the very start of this.

In attempts to talk with Standing Rock they showed up as an empty chair.

You can't negotiate with an empty chair.

[The Sicatoka]

... nor does he know the history, pride, love, respect, conviction, and tradition the supporters have for the Fighting Sioux name.

Tim O'Keefe does. Dave Hakstol does.

And yet they have come to the pragmatic answer. What's that? Read my signature.

[ScottM]

When did all parties concerned sit and discuss the name issue? This never happened and that has lead to this point. A voting process will let the name issue be decided fairly with all ND voter eligible citizens allowed to be accounted for. Let this process take its full course. Will UND potentially suffer some damage, yes. However, UND I do not believe they would be in this position had they included the two tribes at the table of discussions from the very start of this.

You do realize that SL leadership initially told Kupchella that the name wasn't their concern. The fact they now have leaders willing to take up the issue is irrelevant to the NC$$ and the courts.

Moreover, SR's leadership, rightly or wrongly, has effectively prevented UND from using the Sioux moniker from day one by either openly disputing its use or preventing its people from voting on the issue. They're a sovereign nation, so "white man's laws don't apply".

The issue has taken its course through litigation and legislation, and UND will suffer if it persists in its current state. Not sure why so many don't see that ...

[82SiouxGuy]

82SiouxGuy has made valid points and I certainly am not hear to argue with him or anyone else. When did all parties concerned sit and discuss the name issue? This never happened and that has lead to this point. A voting process will let the name issue be decided fairly with all ND voter eligible citizens allowed to be accounted for. Let this process take its full course. Will UND potentially suffer some damage, yes. However, UND I do not believe they would be in this position had they included the two tribes at the table of discussions from the very start of this. The UND Administration has hurt the effort in retaining the name, and not lobbied well to retain the name. Which leads me to believe President Kelley never liked the name upon his arrival at UND, nor does he know the history, pride, love, respect, conviction, and tradition the supporters have for the Fighting Sioux name.

As Scott and tSic mentioned, attempts were made to discuss the issue with both tribes. Repeated attempts were made. Just because you didn't see the attempts doesn't mean that attempts weren't made. At first Spirit Lake told UND it was their problem and they refused to do anything. Finally, tribe members forced a vote on the issue. Even then the Tribal Council didn't want to make that their official position. It took more prodding from tribe members for that to happen. Standing Rock does not want to discuss it. They won't talk about it with their own citizens, and they won't talk about it at Tribal Council meetings. I don't know how you can force them to discuss an issue if they don't want to discuss that issue. The reservation is a soveriegn nation and they can run that government any way they want. So the fact that the people couldn't vote on it may be disappointing to many, but it is really irrelevant to the discussion. A vote of the people was never required in any way by the NCAA, not in the settlement and not in the appeal process before that.

Dr. Kelley was hired 6 months after the settlement was signed. He had nothing to do with it, and had no control over it. The State Board of Higher Education had taken control of the issue away from UND years before that when Mr. Engelstad sent his infamous letter to Dr. Kupchella. Dr. Kelley understands the tradition and the feelings about the issue. All you have to do is talk to him about the nickname and the way things have developed. Dr. Kelley works for the SBoHE. As an employee he is expected to follow directions and do as they wish. Not following their wishes could result in him not being employed. He has followed the direction of the SBoHE on this issue from the beginning. Anyone that thinks he should have done more to save the name doesn't understand how the situation works. He was doing his job. The SBoHE was the entity that was working to save the name. Dr. Kelley was trying to run the rest of the University and deal with all of the fallout from the nickname issue. Blaming Dr. Kelley is just wrong.

[yababy8]

First, the tribes shouldn't have the power to force UND to keep the nickname. The tribes really don't have much to lose if UND retires the nickname, but because of the sanctions UND does have a lot to lose by being forced to keep the nickname. Spirit Lake had more than a year to stop this issue after the Native American policy was first announced. All they had to do was send a letter to the NCAA saying that they didn't object to UND using the name. A single letter that would have prevented the last 5 years of nonsense. They refused to send the letter. So don't say that they didn't get a chance to speak. Standing Rock also had a chance to speak. They had from October 2007 to November 30, 2010 to speak. The tribe made a decision just like most governments make decisions, the governing body made the decision. They were not obligated to let the people speak. Have you ever had a chance to vote on a decision made by the United States Government? No you have not. Their government had the same opportunity. They chose to oppose the nickname, just like they have multiple times since 1992.

I will repeat again, we have reached a point where there are 2 options. Force UND to keep the nickname and watch the athletic department suffer damages, or allow UND to retire the nickname and let the athletic department move forward. Those are the 2 options. Forcing the athletic department to suffer damages because of a sports nickname is not acceptable to me.

yes, but initiatives and referendums are part of our democracy throughout. Tribal government being an obvious exception to the rule. Given that this tenant is not in place at Standing Rock and despite attempts by the people there to get a voice heard then there in lies at least one injustice perpetrated on American citizens. And that injustice has lead us to this. Spirit Lake did approve the name in time.

But we all know this so at this point you say life isn't fair and we need to deal with it. Makes sense for sure. I couldn't agree more with that value.

There is just one thing though. Another tenant of a healthy society is a resistance to inequity. You shouldn't always take it. Sometimes you fight for what is right. Sometimes it costs you. It can cost you anything from $1.00 or a lollypop all the way to your life. It is simple risk vs reward analysis. In this case we are talking about Athletic department risk vs keeping a large part of our identity. That is what is in the pot. Now you will say we have no cards left to play and you may be correct. I say play the vote card and I think there are a few other cards to be played. Another big concern is the fact that if we vote to keep the name, then how does the school and the other leaders future disposition and actions (or lack there of) effect the future outcome. That to me is the bigger question. And I have a STRONG desire to make them show their hand. Voting for the name is the ONLY way we will be able to MAKE them do what we have always wanted and most of us believe they have not thus far done. Period. I say make the play. You know there is always room for another initiative later if the athletic roots of UND start to rot.

Let's just take this ONE TIME to vote to actually have a vote of all people of the state of North Dakota. ONE TIME where we all speak to what WE KNOW IS RIGHT. If we vote no because of fear of sanctions then it can never be known how we really felt about the name. It could INCORRECTLY be argued that people didn't think the name was appropriate or thought it racist. ONE VOTE.

TELL the NCAA the truth. Don't let them off the moral hook. This is especially true for the native American communities. We will see how they feel about the name. ONE VOTE!

We all deserve it. ONE TIME, after years and years being denied the truth in our voice. ONE TIME!

[The Sicatoka]

Like I asked before, what other plays are there?

The courts (state and federal) are no longer options.

The NCAA isn't going to listen to another appeal. They sent the Governor and his crew packing a year ago. And the Big Sky gets far more money from the NCAA than any member school so when rubber hits road who will they go with?

So, please, explain it to me: What is this other "card to play"?

[ScottM]

yes, but initiatives and referendums are part of our democracy throughout. Tribal government being an obvious exception to the rule.

"Democracy", in whatever form, is of little import to the NC$$, or its member schools.

[The Sicatoka]

This is especially true for the native American communities.

I can think of maybe four, maybe five, tribes that support monikers like UND's:

• Florida Seminole Nation (and the Seminoles in Oklahoma)
  
• The Ute tribe in Utah
  
• One (of five) Chippewa nations in Michigan
  
• Spirit Lake Sioux
  

The rest are all pretty much on record against Native American monikers. Standing Rock siding with that majority shouldn't surprise anyone.

[yababy8]

As Scott and tSic mentioned, attempts were made to discuss the issue with both tribes. Repeated attempts were made. Just because you didn't see the attempts doesn't mean that attempts weren't made. At first Spirit Lake told UND it was their problem and they refused to do anything. Finally, tribe members forced a vote on the issue. Even then the Tribal Council didn't want to make that their official position. It took more prodding from tribe members for that to happen. Standing Rock does not want to discuss it. They won't talk about it with their own citizens, and they won't talk about it at Tribal Council meetings. I don't know how you can force them to discuss an issue if they don't want to discuss that issue. The reservation is a soveriegn nation and they can run that government any way they want. So the fact that the people couldn't vote on it may be disappointing to many, but it is really irrelevant to the discussion. A vote of the people was never required in any way by the NCAA, not in the settlement and not in the appeal process before that.

Dr. Kelley was hired 6 months after the settlement was signed. He had nothing to do with it, and had no control over it. The State Board of Higher Education had taken control of the issue away from UND years before that when Mr. Engelstad sent his infamous letter to Dr. Kupchella. Dr. Kelley understands the tradition and the feelings about the issue. All you have to do is talk to him about the nickname and the way things have developed. Dr. Kelley works for the SBoHE. As an employee he is expected to follow directions and do as they wish. Not following their wishes could result in him not being employed. He has followed the direction of the SBoHE on this issue from the beginning. Anyone that thinks he should have done more to save the name doesn't understand how the situation works. He was doing his job. The SBoHE was the entity that was working to save the name. Dr. Kelley was trying to run the rest of the University and deal with all of the fallout from the nickname issue. Blaming Dr. Kelley is just wrong.

What if we voted to keep the name, do you think Kelly could be a great leader and deal with it persuasively and magnanimously?

What if John F. Kennedy came down from the heavens and stood in Kellys position with a conviction to preserve our school post keep the name law. Do you think he would fail at such an endeavor? I personally think not.

[yababy8]

I can think of maybe four, maybe five, tribes that support monikers like UND's:

• Florida Seminole Nation (and the Seminoles in Oklahoma)
  
• The Ute tribe in Utah
  
• One (of five) Chippewa nations in Michigan
  
• Spirit Lake Sioux
  

The rest are all pretty much on record against Native American monikers. Standing Rock siding with that majority shouldn't surprise anyone.

Thank you for correcting me. Sioux people, //strike native americans// . The Sioux people are a sovern group. Entitled to speak for their name without interference from other groups that are NOT Sioux. ie it's their name.

Now talk to me about about how the Sioux people feel....

Ahh I have a great idea. Let's let them speak- ONE TIME about how they feel about the name. Not about the politics or the fear of harm to UND. Just this one time. Have another vote later. And write the damn initiative as a surrender to the NCAA. This time it needs to be a voice of how we feel about the name.l ONE TIME!!

[ScottM]

What if John F. Kennedy came down from the heavens and stood in Kellys position with a conviction to preserve our school post keep the name law. Do you think he would fail at such an endeavor? I personally think not.

Kennedy wasn't the "saint" so many try to portray him as, even today, like most politicians. I recall reading a history of CIA which noted that "if they [JFK and RFK] had not been assassinated, they would have been indicted."

The "politics", regardless of how you try to ignore them, of this issue are damaging to UND, regardless of the stupidity and hypocrisy of the NC$$ policy.

[yababy8]

Kennedy wasn't the "saint" so many try to portray him as, even today, like most politicians. I recall reading a history of CIA which noted that "if they [JFK and RFK] had not been assassinated, they would have been indicted."

I didn't say he was a saint at all. If I would want a saint to lead the fight against the name I would have picked Jimmy Carter. Don't even need to bring him down from the heavens

JFK would have gotten it done. He was persuasive. Maybe Fiason is persuasive at those conference AD meetings too?? ya never know..

The "politics", regardless of how you try to ignore them, of this issue are damaging to UND, regardless of the stupidity and hypocrisy of the NC$$ policy.

I completely agree with you.

[NV SIOUX]

I can think of maybe four, maybe five, tribes that support monikers like UND's:

• Florida Seminole Nation (and the Seminoles in Oklahoma)
  
• The Ute tribe in Utah
  
• One (of five) Chippewa nations in Michigan
  
• Spirit Lake Sioux
  

The rest are all pretty much on record against Native American monikers. Standing Rock siding with that majority shouldn't surprise anyone.

Standing Rock's Tribal Council sided with many other tribes. It is unknown what the majority of the Standing Rock people believe on this issue, due to the lack of a vote instituted by the SRSTC.

[geaux_sioux]

What if we voted to keep the name, do you think Kelly could be a great leader and deal with it persuasively and magnanimously?

What if John F. Kennedy came down from the heavens and stood in Kellys position with a conviction to preserve our school post keep the name law. Do you think he would fail at such an endeavor? I personally think not.

He would be wayyy tooo hopped up on amphetamines to cope with his back problems and too busy banging cheerleaders to get anything done. He didn't really do much of significance as a president, anything that occurred with him in office was a matter of circumstance not his initiative.

[geaux_sioux]

I didn't say he was a saint at all. If I would want a saint to lead the fight against the name I would have picked Jimmy Carter. Don't even need to bring him down from the heavens

JFK would have gotten it done. He was persuasive. Maybe Fiason is persuasive at those conference AD meetings too?? ya never know..

I completely agree with you.

Bill Clinton is persuasive and alive, why not write him a letter?

[82SiouxGuy]

yes, but initiatives and referendums are part of our democracy throughout. Tribal government being an obvious exception to the rule. Given that this tenant is not in place at Standing Rock and despite attempts by the people there to get a voice heard then there in lies at least one injustice perpetrated on American citizens. And that injustice has lead us to this. Spirit Lake did approve the name in time.

But we all know this so at this point you say life isn't fair and we need to deal with it. Makes sense for sure. I couldn't agree more with that value.

There is just one thing though. Another tenant of a healthy society is a resistance to inequity. You shouldn't always take it. Sometimes you fight for what is right. Sometimes it costs you. It can cost you anything from $1.00 or a lollypop all the way to your life. It is simple risk vs reward analysis. In this case we are talking about Athletic department risk vs keeping a large part of our identity. That is what is in the pot. Now you will say we have no cards left to play and you may be correct. I say play the vote card and I think there are a few other cards to be played. Another big concern is the fact that if we vote to keep the name, then how does the school and the other leaders future disposition and actions (or lack there of) effect the future outcome. That to me is the bigger question. And I have a STRONG desire to make them show their hand. Voting for the name is the ONLY way we will be able to MAKE them do what we have always wanted and most of us believe they have not thus far done. Period. I say make the play. You know there is always room for another initiative later if the athletic roots of UND start to rot.

Let's just take this ONE TIME to vote to actually have a vote of all people of the state of North Dakota. ONE TIME where we all speak to what WE KNOW IS RIGHT. If we vote no because of fear of sanctions then it can never be known how we really felt about the name. It could INCORRECTLY be argued that people didn't think the name was appropriate or thought it racist. ONE VOTE.

TELL the NCAA the truth. Don't let them off the moral hook. This is especially true for the native American communities. We will see how they feel about the name. ONE VOTE!

We all deserve it. ONE TIME, after years and years being denied the truth in our voice. ONE TIME!

Initiatives and referendums are not universal. As a matter of fact, only about half of the states have initiatives and/or referendum laws. So Standing Rock is with about half the country in not allowing those type votes. And as I have repeated, they operate much like the United States government in that the governing body makes the decision for the people. The people do not get to vote on issues. So that is not some huge injustice perpetrated on the people. That is standard operating procedure for much of the country.

Everyone knows how the state would vote if the issue were just do we like the nickname. It would win by an overwhelming margin. So the vote in support of the nickname is meaningless. It will not change the position of the NCAA. All it does is create a period that damages the UND athletic department. Holding another vote later wastes money and weakens the athletic department, which means more time and money needed on the other end to build it back up again.

Fighting for right can be noble, but you need to have some chance to win. You now seem to be promoting this election as some kind of symbolic gesture to show the support of the nickname. Everyone knows the support the nickname has in the state, if the question is simply do you like or support the Fighting Sioux nickname. That support holds no meaning for the NCAA or for the court system. It is an empty gesture. You have been asked several times "What other options are there to fight the NCAA?" or "What other cards could UND play?", etc. You say you want a vote to make "them" show their hand. Everyone has shown their hands. All the cards are in the middle of the table. There are no wild cards left to play. The NCAA has their hand on the settlement agreement and said that is now the rule book. The courts have agreed. The tribes have made their positions known. Everyone knows what happens if UND keeps the nickname or if it retires the nickname. THERE ARE NO MORE CARDS.

You asked what Dr. Kelley will do if they have to keep the nickname? He will do just as he has done for the last several months. He will work with the staff to limit the effects of the sanctions as much as possible. He will work with the NCAA to make sure that mistakes aren't made that would result in even more harsh penalties. And he will try to spend most of his time running a state research university, which is what he should be doing rather than wasting his time with a nickname issue. The NCAA has everything on the table, their cards are sitting beside a copy of the settlement. Nothing is going to change their position. No one, not Tom Clifford, not JFK, not Henry Clay could get them to move from their position.

If you have any options for UND to pursue that might result in the NCAA changing their policy, please share them. You have actually been asked several times and have provided nothing. No one else has come up with anything that has a chance of succeeding. And please don't repeat the "symbolic vote to show support" theory. That will not help the situation in any way. We have passed the time for such gestures (the legislature doing it last spring was too late). If you have something, bring it up.

[82SiouxGuy]

I can think of maybe four, maybe five, tribes that support monikers like UND's:

• Florida Seminole Nation (and the Seminoles in Oklahoma)
  
• The Ute tribe in Utah
  
• One (of five) Chippewa nations in Michigan
  
• Spirit Lake Sioux
  

The rest are all pretty much on record against Native American monikers. Standing Rock siding with that majority shouldn't surprise anyone.

A small correction. There were at least 3 other tribes that gave approval for small local colleges. I don't have them in front of me, but I believe they were all in the South. I think at least 1 was in Mississippi. There are either 6 or 7 schools that have permission to use Native American imagery, not just the big 3 that people talk about.

[82SiouxGuy]

Standing Rock's Tribal Council sided with many other tribes. It is unknown what the majority of the Standing Rock people believe on this issue, due to the lack of a vote instituted by the SRSTC.

Standing Rock has led the fight against UND using the nickname. They have been fighting it for at least 20 years. And as I posted in another comment, it is not uncommon for a government to not allow initiatives or referendums. Approximately half of the states don't. The Federal Government doesn't. So demanding that Standing Rock allow one just because we want to know how their citizens feel is not being very genuine. They have a right to run their government how they want, they choose to not allow such votes.

[82SiouxGuy]

Thank you for correcting me. Sioux people, //strike native americans// . The Sioux people are a sovern group. Entitled to speak for their name without interference from other groups that are NOT Sioux. ie it's their name.

Now talk to me about about how the Sioux people feel....

Ahh I have a great idea. Let's let them speak- ONE TIME about how they feel about the name. Not about the politics or the fear of harm to UND. Just this one time. Have another vote later. And write the damn initiative as a surrender to the NCAA. This time it needs to be a voice of how we feel about the name.l ONE TIME!!

Their government speaks for them, just like the United States government speaks for the citizens of the United States. They have a right to run their government how they want. That is how they choose to run their government. Just because you want to find out how they would vote in some symbolic gesture doesn't obligate them to change their form of government.

And if you are worried about how the Sioux as a total people feel, there are quite a few other Sioux tribes in the Great Plains. Every Sioux tribe other than Spirit Lake has a policy against UND using the Sioux nickname. Should we honor all of their feelings? Or just Spirit Lake since they agree with your position? None of the nickname supporters have ever answered that question for me.