Reconsidering the University of North Dakota's Nickname

The tribal council of the Standing Rock Reservation narrowly voted down a tribe member's request to determine support for the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname through a public vote, the Associated Press reports.

Although UND made plans to retire its nickname and logo in August 2010 after receiving criticism that the name and symbol were offensive, not everyone agrees with the critics. Archie Fool Bear, a supporter of the nickname, says he does not think Wednesday's 7-6 council vote against a referendum was decisive because two council members were absent and one abstained.

Fool Bear says he and other members of the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes plan to continue lobbying for a reservationwide referendum on the issue. But these and other efforts might be fruitless: Last year, the Standing Rock Tribal Council not only publicly opposed the university's nickname but also voted to ban a referendum on the issue.

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