In 1930 the University of North Dakota changed the name of it's mascot and sports teams from The Flickertails to The Fighting Sioux. Can you imagine the UND Flickertails taking the ice against the Minnesota Golden Gophers? OOPS! Not a good example. (I'm a huge Gophers fan, BTW...) How about the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame or the Spartans of Michigan State or the Michigan Wolverines?
We have the Seminoles in Florida, the Redskins in Washington, The Black Hawks in Chicago and in Waterloo, Iowa, and many other similar names in many other places.
How many sports teams in this country have been named after Indians or Indian tribes? Too many to count.
The PC establishment in this country takes offense to these names claiming that it is disrespectful or offensive to the people and the tribes that these teams are named after.
Here's a story that was in our local paper today...
Craziness.
"Two campaigns began Tuesday that would let voters decide whether the University of North Dakota should keep it's Fighting Sioux nickname in spite of penalties by the NCAA, which considers it offensive to American Indians."
There are a lot of sports teams that use "American Indian" names and symbols. They certainly aren't meant to be offensive to American Indians or to anyone else. It is a source of pride to these schools. These names are chosen to symbolize winners and warriors. (Remember when winning and losing were a normal part of the human condition?)
No one chooses an American Indian name for their team to bring shame or derision upon themselves. It is done out of respect.
The only people these names offend are the PC police who want to control everything in our society.
I'd rather be known as a "Fighting Sioux" than a "Flickertail". That's just me.
Don't we have more important things to worry about?
Stay safe.
I did my undergrad work in Oregon.
ReplyDeleteOne of the local university's mascot? The Beaver. You don't want to know the headlines when they played the Trojans.
Brigid... LOL. Some things are best left to the imagination.
ReplyDeleteWe have the East High Trojans, the West High Wahawks, the Upper Iowa Peacocks, the Buena Vista College Beavers... Glad I was a University of Northern Iowa Panther :) It could have been worse. Much worse :)
Yes, just a Collectivists ploy as David Yeagley http://www.badeagle.com/ will gladly tell you.
ReplyDeleteBrock... this is a good one
ReplyDeletehttp://www.badeagle.com/2011/09/28/indian-removal-ii-2nd-appeal-to-the-united-nations/
He has plenty to say about it in other posts, too. The removal of the American Indian from American history, I believe he says.
At least ND is having a vote on it. If you guys decide to keep the name and the NCAA threatens you, I hope UND will get together with some other schools and start their own athletic association.
ReplyDeleteRSSRR... it's going to be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out.
ReplyDelete