Why the Sioux may have to "sue"

[jardinero]

This is only a part of his letter to the NCAA, but this President of UND stands up for the 80 year tradition in name, logo, relationship with the Sioux tribes:

The NCAA’s organizational arrogance extends to the innovative and abusive use of the English language. You indicated that Florida State University was exempted because it has a “special relationship” with the Seminoles. At the time you said this, Florida State enrolled just four Seminole students. We have one-hundred times more Indian students here, yet FSU’s is a “special relationship” while ours, you say, is “hostile and abusive.”

Arrogance may not be a criminal offense or cause for civil action, but it smells bad and it may be a cause for litigation when it leads to careless, irrational, arbitrary, capricious, and ultimately harmful behavior.

“Arrogance” may be harsh, but I could not come up with a better word. When you say, as you did in announcing your most recent exemption – this time Catawba Indians:

Although the NCAA executive committee continues to believe the stereotyping of Native Americans is wrong, it recognizes that a Native American Tribe is a distinct political community . . . therefore, respects the authority of the tribe to permit universities and colleges to use its name and imagery.

The arrogance of this statement is appalling. It is as if to say, “American Indians may think it is OK, but the NCAA knows better,” or perhaps, “If these tribes (now at least six in number) are not astute enough to recognize that they are the objects of hostility and abuse, let them wallow in it.” Further, if a Native American tribe is a “distinct political community,” why is it that the continuing resolution by the Spirit Lake Nation that allows UND to use the Sioux name is – in the NCAA’s words – “not persuasive?”

Instead of the logical conclusion, that if American Indians, themselves, think Indian nicknames are OK, perhaps they really are OK, we get the latest in a long series of non-Natives deciding what’s best for American Indians.

Although you say you considered all of the material we put into our appeal, your responses and actions indicate otherwise. I point out, again, some of the extraordinary programming we have in support of American Indian students.

American Indian education is a $12 million enterprise at UND. Much of the total is provided by the tribes themselves, by the students and their families, and by the federal government. None of this would happen, obviously, if the environment here were in any way hostile and abusive. There is also a substantial University component as well. The University annually provides about $400,000, mostly in the form of waivers of tuition specifically for underrepresented groups. Nearly all of this goes to American Indians.

We have more than 30 separate programs in support of American Indian education. Most of these are administered by a staff of seven American Indians. Most of the programs are based in a new American Indian Center funded by the University and by generous donors. These programs include a thirty-year-old Indians-Into-Medicine program which has educated about one-fifth of all (enrolled) American Indian physicians in the United States. Your action has, unfortunately, put all of this under a cloud of “hostile and abusive.” We must find some way to set the record straight.

Give 'em hell, Chuck! Read the entire article here:

WHY THE “SIOUX” MAY HAVE TO SUE

J.

[Tom Strange]

I agree with what he says... but I'd paraphrase it thusly: 'the NCAA sucks'...

[dmiller]

http://www.universityrelations.und.edu/log...er_6-07-06.html