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From PopPolitics.com:

Fixated on Mascots, NCAA Ignores Minority Coaches

Apparently the NCAA is so busy monitoring offensive school mascots that it has nearly forgotten about the issue of minority football coaches. The Black Coaches Association reminded the NCAA last month that during the past year black football coaching hires in big time programs failed to reach 1 percent. Seventeen of the 30 institutions that hired head football coaches in 2004-5 either did not interview a minority candidate or did not include members of minority groups on their hiring committees.
Black coaches constitute 3 percent of all coaches in Division I-A and I-AA, while more than half the players at these same schools are black. The Black Coaches Association is considering legal action unless there is some improvement next year.

Thus there has been considerable progress achieved in higher education in America. I am surprised that the NCAA has not supplied these institutions with the funding to pay for the costs of logo removal out of the same fund that will reward students for actually being students.

There is still one major violator on the loose. Southeastern Oklahoma State University has not changed its nickname or mascot, "The Savages." Believe it or not, you can get a "Dennis Rodman Throwback Jersey" by Adidas with the "Savages" and "10" on the front and "Rodman" on the back. It is on sale for $99.

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From The Oregonian:

Mascot debate stirs deep-seated beliefs

There still is little middle ground on NCAA members' use of Native American imagery

There needs to be an understanding at the beginning of any discussion of Native American mascots, imagery and the NCAA. The topic is big, the debate furious, the arguments sincere and there is absolutely no middle ground.

One side says, "We're honoring you." The other side says, "We're not honored."

One side argues tradition and respect. The other side argues civil rights and respect.

"The reason it was done was because it was the right thing to do," said Bob Williams, an NCAA spokesman. "If you look at it from a historical perspective, sports in general tends to be, along with academia, a catalyst for change."

Dr. Mitchell Zais, president of Division II Newberry College, said his school will keep its Indians nickname and if the school of just 800 students -- one that has had one team go to the postseason, last season's women's basketball team -- makes the postseason again, it will cover the offending logos with black tape.

"And I'd like to wear a black arm band in mourning for the death of the American Indians," Zais said, adding he'd hate to see Native Americans "fade from awareness to be replaced only with images of casinos and tax-free cigarettes."

Appeal or repeal?

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (Grand Forks, N.D.): Ruling that South Dakota "did not have the support of the three federally recognized Sioux tribes of North Dakota," the NCAA denied the school's appeal. The school is appealing to the executive committee. Its hockey arena has more than 3,000 logos in it that are in violation of the NCAA restrictions.

There's an obvious mistake in what I thought was an overall fair and blanced report on the issues surrounding the NCAA's policy. I sent an e-mail to Ryan White to notify him of the error. Otherwise, I think he is to be commended for providing both sides of the story.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Open letter to the Oyate: Supports honor in "Sioux" name

http://www.earthskyweb.com/news.htm

Born in South Dakota, raised in North Dakota, living in Minnesota, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate member. (We used to be called the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe but changed it to "Oyate," which means "the People").

I've read many accounts of the University of North Dakota struggling to keep the "Fighting Sioux" name.

I had read somewhere that the Sioux Chiefs of time, when UND was first built, came and honored the grounds and name. Honored the programs to educate the American Indians. If the Chiefs and medicine people of the time thought it right to bless and show sacred the name, why change it now?

I'm looking at the Time Almanac for 2005. Under the state, North Dakota, it says it's nickname is the Sioux State. That the name North Dakota is derived from the Sioux Tribe, meaning "allies."

Although of late the teams playing the fighting Sioux saw fit to chant, wear and demean the team by saying Sioux suck, the university took steps to stop the practice. I for one only see the university carrying on a long tradition of honoring the Sioux, by keeping its name.

Ellen Owens-Hauser, Detroit Lakes, MN.

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I think I found GK's mentor

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=1951

WHO'S MORE INDIAN, you or me?"
I may not have been as Indian as he, but I was Indian enough to know that. For Gil, that was Indian enough.

Regrettably, it may not be enough for a woman named Doreen Yellow Bird.

On February 17, she wrote an article about me in the Grand Forks Herald. She wrote about my Indianness.

Yellow Bird was responding to a column I wrote in FrontPageMagazine.com called "Don't Walk the Black Man's Path." In it, I chided Indian students at the University of North Dakota for kicking up a fuss over the school's "Fighting Sioux" mascot.

The protesters say it's insulting and want it changed. I say the mascot is an honor to a great warrior people.

Yellow Bird sides with the protesters. She questions my authority to speak.

"Some [indians] might have little contact with tribal nations," she says coyly. "And some might not be physically recognized as Native American, therefore, might not have the same experience as a person with Native features.

"Yeagley, who says he is Comanche, needs to stand in the shoes of some of the

young people

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http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/...cle.asp?ID=1952

Don't Walk the Black Man's Path
It's all about playing the victim. Frankly, I find it weak and undignified. It's not the way of our warrior ancestors.

Those young Indians at UND should end their needless fight with the university. The pursuit of academic excellence would be a far better testing ground for their warrior spirit.
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  • 2 weeks later...

From OCALA.com:

NCAA needs a timeout

By George Will

But in any case, why should anyone's disapproval of a nickname doom it? When, in the multiplication of entitlements, did we produce an entitlement for everyone to go through life without being annoyed by anything, even a team's nickname? If some Irish or Scots were to take offense at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish or the Fighting Scots of Monmouth College, what rule of morality would require the rest of us to care? Civilization depends on, and civility often requires, the willingness to say, "What you are doing is none of my business" and "What I am doing is none of your business."
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From OCALA.com:

NCAA needs a timeout

By George Will

I thought this was the most important paragraph of the article:

But grievance groups have multiplied, seeking reparations for historic wrongs, and regulations to assuage current injuries inflicted by "insensitivity." One of America's booming businesses is the indignation industry that manufactures the synthetic outrage needed to fuel identity politics.
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From The American Thinker:

The Fighting Sioux Strike Back

Good article. There is a mistake. There is no clause in the arena deal that requires UND to keep the Fighting Sioux name or logo. That is an erroneous belief by many. The hockey arena will go to UND at the end of the present lease deal (I think it is 25yrs) and that can't be changed even if UND's name for the athletic teams changes. The arena can go to UND earlier.

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Good article. There is a mistake. There is no clause in the arena deal that requires UND to keep the Fighting Sioux name or logo. That is an erroneous belief by many. The hockey arena will go to UND at the end of the present lease deal (I think it is 25yrs) and that can't be changed even if UND's name for the athletic teams changes. The arena can go to UND earlier.

Yeah but this is no mistake

...the Fighting Sioux have iced the NCAA
Say what you will, I'm going to enjoy this moment in time. (Now, where did they hide the booze :lol: )
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From PJStar.com:

Is home of the Brave just around the corner?

Members of the NCAA Board of Directors on Monday are expected to review Bradley's final appeal, which attempts to explain the obvious - why "Braves," absent any mascot or American Indian imagery or even so much as a bird's feather being licensed to float across the campus, is not a patently hostile or abusive word. The written materials provided by BU also politely challenge the NCAA's consistency on this issue, since the organization has deemed "Seminoles," "Utes," "Chippewas," "Warriors" and even UNC-Pembroke's "Braves" acceptable.

Nobody expects the university's pristine logic to fly. If the NCAA is consistent about anything, it is inconsistency.

But this particular institution also should consider the six most profound words uttered by its men's basketball coach. The words were spoken on the occasion of Bradley's gala celebration of a century of basketball, and when Jim Les opened his arms and heart to the All-Century stars, he did likewise to every athlete, every student, every employee, every supporter of the university's mission. And with these words, Les brought down the house:

"Once a Brave, always a Brave."

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From Chicago Sports.com:

Bradley allowed to keep nickname, for now

Bradley and North Dakota will be able to keep their American Indian nicknames during NCAA postseason play this season, but still might lose them in the future.

The NCAA's executive committee did not make a final decision regarding either school's appeal during a meeting Monday, allowing Bradley to remain the Braves and North Dakota to keep its Fighting Sioux nickname at least until the panel's next meeting April 27.

"North Dakota will be held harmless through the April meeting, and the same approach will be taken to Bradley because there was an inability to complete the discussion and a decision wasn't reached," NCAA president Myles Brand said.

Phil Harmeson, a senior associate to North Dakota's president, said the university was told last week by the NCAA that it would delay making a decision on the school's appeal after receiving a 35-page rebuttal from the school late last month.

"We'll just have to wait until April 27," Harmeson said.

Wow. We're "held harmless." Thanks, Myles. :D

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"Held harmless"? What an a$$hole. "Hold harmless" implies that UND has somehow done something wrong to the NC$$. Which in this case appears to be that UND stood up to them, and shown them how their attempts at "social engineering" are odious, contemptible and well outside the bounds of their own authority. At the very least, it gives UND more time to build its case, and finally bury this exercise in stupidity and we can send the NC$$ back to accrediting high schools that churn out illiterate graduates. :D

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I didn't want to start a new thread but did anybody else see today's blondie comic?

very funny ;) , but also very true to the way the world works these days, the minority of the minority making the rules for the majority of the majority to live by, because they are uncomfortable, but the majority should adapt to the ideals of the minority and be ok with it. hmmmm

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The University Senate is at it again. Alumni from CAS and from the School of Engineering and Mines will be interested to see the way their respective dean's voted. Even though there was a roll-call vote, the reporter must have been in too big a hurry to get the story to print that he didn't include the results.

Student Body President Bobby Haskins:

"The majority of the students are telling me to vote against this, and those are the people I serve,".

Also, with a somewhat whiny headline, here is another story from today's paper: "Kupchella has been hosting tribal councils". Mr. Dodds seems disappointed that he didn't know about this until the meeting. ;)

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Also, with a somewhat whiny headline, here is another story from today's paper: "Kupchella has been hosting tribal councils". Mr. Dodds seems disappointed that he didn't know about this until the meeting. ;)

Birgit Hans, chairperson of UND's Indian Studies Department, said the school's special invitation to the tribes is "something that should have happened decades ago."
Fine, but it's happening now. Why don't we see what can be made of this that is positive, rather than negative?
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