Sioux sue?

[RichH]

[quote Section A Banshee]FYI, the Grand Forks Herald requires registration.[/quote]

Huh.  So it does.  Well, I got there by going to the main page, and the story is displayed prominently today.  I'll just post the story here:

UND gets nickname reprieve
By Joseph Marks, Herald Staff Writer
Published Friday, October 26, 2007

A settlement proposal in UND's lawsuit against the NCAA reportedly involves a three-year "cooling off period" during which the school must either win tribal approval for its Fighting Sioux nickname or retire it.

UND is suing the NCAA over its ban of American Indian nicknames and logos in postseason play. If UND can convince the state's Sioux tribes to support its nickname, the school could continue to use it in NCAA tournaments. Similar deals have been struck by the Florida State Seminoles and the Central Michigan Chippewas.

One state tribal leader, however, says it's unlikely his tribe will endorse the nickname at the end of the three-year period.

The settlement could be approved as soon as this morning in a special meeting of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education. The proposal was outlined recently by Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for the chairpeople of North Dakota's two Sioux tribes at a meeting in Bismarck, according to Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Ron His Horse is Thunder.

Stenehjem confirmed Thursday evening that he met two weeks ago with His Horse is Thunder and Spirit Lake Tribal Chairwoman Myra Pearson, but would not discuss details of the meeting. He did say that he'd had similar discussions with several people across the state in recent weeks.

Members of the Herald Editorial Board confirmed that they also met with Stenehjem about three weeks ago but would not reveal details about the discussion because it was "off the record."

Stenehjem will meet with the Board of Higher Education in a closed session this morning at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, after which the board may act to approve a settlement agreement, according to an agenda from the university system office.

State board members would not answer questions Thursday about the details of a possible settlement. Student member Nate Martindale speculated that any settlement would have to include the NCAA admitting that its claim that UND is hostile and abusive to American Indians is incorrect, but would not comment further.

Shifting the burden

His Horse is Thunder said he told Stenehjem during their meeting that he does not support the three-year cooling off period and does not expect his tribal council to alter its resolution opposing the nickname during that time.

"I told him I didn't want the tribes to have to agree to the cooling-off period," His Horse is Thunder said. "I told him we're not going to change our position or withdraw our resolution saying we oppose the use of the nickname. . . . His hope is during the next three years we'll reconsider."

His Horse is Thunder said he thinks the proposed settlement unfairly shifts the burden of retiring the nickname from UND and the state to the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake tribes.

"It takes the onus off him and puts it right back in my lap," he said. "They'll continue to try to get tribal members to go to UND and watch hockey games and treat them to great sky boxes. . . . They'll treat them really nice and get a few to come back and put political pressure on the tribal council."

His Horse is Thunder said Pearson echoed his own position during their meeting with Stenehjem.

"Her reaction was along the same lines as mine," he said. "It's trying to buy Indians by treating them nicely and giving them alcohol at hockey games that she objected to."

Last holdout

Out of 20 schools originally subject to the nickname restrictions, five have been allowed to retain their American Indian imagery by winning the approval of a nearby namesake tribe's tribal council, similar to what is proposed at UND.

Of the 15 remaining schools, 13 have agreed to drop their American Indian imagery, and the Bradley University Braves in Peoria, Ill., were placed on a five-year watch list. UND is the only school still fighting the nickname mandate.

UND is funding its lawsuit with private donations to a UND Alumni Association-managed fund. The school's legal costs stood at about $850,000 in early October.

The NCAA has not released the cost of its litigation. Grand Forks County District Judge Lawrence Jahnke, who is presiding over the case, said this week that more than $2 million in attorney's fees have been expended in the case to date.

Marks reports on higher education. Reach him at (701) 780-1105, (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or jmarks@gfherald.com">jmarks@gfherald.com.

[Trotsky]

4% of the world's population, 75% of its lawyers.

[jtwcornell91]

Some of the specifics:
http://blog.siouxsports.com/2007/10/26/fighting-sioux-settlement-agreed-to-by-both-parties/

UND gets a pass on removing "historical images, images embedded in architecture, items which will ultimately be replaced because of wear and tear".  So it looks like their bullshit tactic of plastering the Sioux logo all over the Ralph means they get to keep it there, although I suppose it's failed as a pretext for not changing the nickname.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote jtwcornell91]Some of the specifics:
http://blog.siouxsports.com/2007/10/26/fighting-sioux-settlement-agreed-to-by-both-parties/

UND gets a pass on removing "historical images, images embedded in architecture, items which will ultimately be replaced because of wear and tear".  So it looks like their bullshit tactic of plastering the Sioux logo all over the Ralph means they get to keep it there, although I suppose it's failed as a pretext for not changing the nickname.[/quote]

For all of that they used Master Card, but just seeing them having to admit their wrongdoing would be priceless.:-D