This version was sent to the Grand Forks Herald today. They may, or may not print it. If they do they may modify it:

We Dakotas are easy to get along with, after all; our very name signifies, friends and/or allies. And, we are pretty much assimilated into the mainstream society so we no longer become all war like when a Caucasian verbally assaults our winyans (women) in a meeting. Besides, our winyans are tough; they don't need anyone's help to deal with a person who apparently does not have any respect for them as human beings.

But, at soon to be sixty years of age I still have some of the old ways in me that were taught to me in my youth. I was raised to respect women and to defend them when they were being mistreated, especially if that winyan is a relative. Therefore, I'm going to speak up on Melissa Merrick's behalf, as she is a younger relative of mine. I also believe Melissa's version is the correct version of the conversation between Cramer and her. So I am going to point out the obvious in Cramer's tactics as he scurries around in attempts to do damage control.

In my opinion, Cramer's is going way beyond the bounds of decency in responding to Melissa's account of what transpired at a meeting between them.

He is attempting to deflect the attention away from him by bringing up the Spirit Lake Tribal Council's transgressions. While the SLTC problems' are well documented, pointing them out does not lessen, nor excuse Cramer's verbal attack on Melissa.

He also said, "once a victim always a victim" when describing why Melissa's version is different than his. It's another attempts to deflect the focus away from him. Blaming the victim is the worst possible thing a person can do to woman who has been a victim of abuse.

He arrogantly points out that the manner of discussion he used in the meeting was more suitable to the floor of the US House of Representatives. This is the most condescending excuse I have ever heard. He's implying our women are weak and should be treated as women who are submissive to men. This is so sexist I'm can't believe a man of his statue would say something like that.

Also, in regards to Cramer's statement that the misunderstanding might have been the result of his tone and rhetoric, which is better suited for active debate in Congress rather than in addressing the protectors of our most vulnerable citizens I have to ask, what the heck does he mean by this? I have never witnessed an active debate in congress, but I would be more than willing to debate the constitutionally of WAVA with him, in the same manner they debate in Congress, at his office in North Dakota, or anyplace else for that matter. I would also be willing to explore other means of debating with him that we both are comfortable with. This should not be hard to do because I'm comfortable with any forms of debating.

Frankly, other than knowing Cramer was the republican candidate for the US House of Representatives, I didn't know much about him. I didn't vote for him because - well, he's a republican. Now I have personal reason for not voting for him as well his character, or lack thereof.

In closing, I want to make sure I'm not prejudging Cramer; he very well might be a good, decent person. So on that assumption, I will make him this offer. We Dakotas are a tolerant, forgiving people. Therefore, as Melissa's older relative, I will take it upon myself to take my favorite star quilt off my wall and present it to him to help lessen his anger toward my relative. Hopefully, this overture will help him think about his innuendos, the half-truths, the accusations and talking out of both sides of his mouth, when he is recounting his version. Instead, maybe he will put aside his anger and make a sincere apology and take full responsibility for his words. Should Cramer give a sincere apology, we will shake his hands, hold a feed and drop the matter. After all, we are all North Dakotans and we should all strive to get along.

 

In North Dakota, one the most controversial social issues encompass the University of North Dakota's school nickname "Fighting Sioux" and logo of an Indian Head.  I will begin with some editorial quotes that manifest the language to describe the perception of Sioux people from a White perspective.  We must also understand that in the 1930s, American society was still operating under the Jim Crow Law and majority of American Indians were still confined to reservations.  In 1970s, the controversy about the University nickname began when the American Indians students started arriving on campus from reservations to obtain education.  The American Indian students protested the practice of this school tradition, ritual, and cheers that are associated with the University nickname and logo; this lead to the establishment of a student organization called University of North Dakota Indian Association (UNDIA).  For the next 40 years various tribes and organization request the UND to drop its nickname and logo. But they were ignored and in 2011 the "Fighting Sioux" transcended into a state law.

During the fall semester of 1930, two University of North Dakota (UND) students didn't feel powerful about attending a school that had a nickname called the Flicker Tails, especially when their rival school was called the Bison.  In a sport like football, the game is about physical strength, endurance, strategic plays, and mental toughness.  I imagined a Flicker Tail not having much of a chance in a match against a Bison if they really had to battle it out.  Not only is a Flicker Tail a small ground squirrel, but you can't really fit it into any cheers and have the cheerleaders yell it out to the fans.  It really doesn't rhyme with any words either. So what kind of name would really fit the sports teams, pep rally cheers, and songs to be able to stand up to Bison?

According to Dakota Student newspaper, two students (these two students are nameless and the UND special collection microfilm starts from September 17, 1930) suggested the word "Sioux," which is a better agent for exterminating Bison.  Sioux have a war like physique and it easily rhymes with other words for yelling cheers and songs (September 23, 1930). The support for a new pep name was expressed in the editorial of the Dakota Student. Alvin Austin wrote "a more fitting and colorful name would be hard to find" (September 23, 1930).  He went on by saying "they (two students) pointed out that a "Flicker-tail" must always be held somewhat in awe of the larger, more impressive Bison of the Agriculture College (A.C.), and that it can't wage a very successful mental battle against Bears, Huskies, Hurricanes, Tigers, and the like. Similarly, the name "Nodaks" is quite colorless and symbolizes nothing.  "Polar Bears," suggested once, is a bit far fetched. But the name "Sioux" is about ideal.  It would lend itself to many colorful variations, is historically correct, and most important of all immediately brings to mind the pioneer conqueror of the bison, bears, and the elements," (Austin, 1930).

A writer identified as a student in the same editorial wrote "Flickertail fist upon us the anties of an obscure and timid little animal, for years we have been pursued by a massive Bison in all Aggie publicity, ..., it wouldn't be a bad idea to turn the tables and stage a buffalo hunt in the good old Indian manner.  By the way, how's that for a name, the "Sioux?"  Something Indian, or most anything that can come out on top in a bisonic struggle, as we have been doing for the past forty years.  Think of all the symbolism that one could gain from an Indian name and figure.  Let's have a little action" (Dakota Student,1930).

A. U. fans also felt that a new nickname was needed.  The fan stated, "last Friday I could not help but think how inadequately the name 'Flickertails' applied to such a powerful and skilled eleven as Jack West put on the field.  Now, I and some of my friends have hit upon a name that we think fits North Dakota U. representatives like a glove, and herewith, we modestly offer the name of 'Sioux.'  The strong Indian tribes that first inhabited North Dakota were members of the Sioux nation.  Man and beast fell before their strength.  There is nothing weak about that name, such as 'Flickertail' might suggest" (Fan, 1930).

E. A. H. wrote to the editor and said "Sioux," in the dictionary, "is an Indian of one of the most important tribes of North America...'They are warlike, of fine physique and haughty bearing.  The native name of the Sioux is Dakota.'" He went on by saying "What more assurance of classification does the school need to select this designation?  Besides being easily rhymed for yells and songs, Sioux expresses a real sentiment. Take the word of Webster and adopt Sioux!" (E. A. H.,1930).  It didn't take long before the momentum of a new nickname gained speed among students, faculty, and alumni.

In the headline of the Dakota Student on September 30, 1930, read Eleven U Faculty Members Favor Change in Pep Name: Peitsch Only Total Dissenter in Canvass; Some Retain One Symbol. Frank Webb (Alumni Secretary) said "I'm all for it!" (paragraph 2).  C. A. (Jack) West stated, "I think it is very colorful. This idea of 'Flickertails' suggests too much the idea of hunting our hole as soon as we see the opponents.  I'm all in favorite of it, if the alumni and student body approves" (paragraph 3).  C. L. (Buck) Starbeck echoed with the coach "Big Sioux? I think it's a dandy idea" (paragraph 4).   Other faculty like W. G. Bek, E.K. Smiley, Helen J. Sullivan, Margaret Beede, J. V. Breitwieser, John Howard, and Joseph Mader all approved "Sioux" should be the new pep name.

On September 30, 1930, another column headline read, New Sioux Gang To Make Debut At Friday Game.  The
first paragraph read "It's for You, North Dakota Sioux'.  That's the spirit of the 'Tribe of the Sioux', North Dakota's new gang of rooters who will make their debut at the Davis-Elkins game Friday night" (Dakota Student).   The second paragraph stated, "Doug Soule, a rooter king, need no longer wave his arms madly and hear, but a spasmodic response from the crowd.  Those who are starting the movement for bigger and better larynges, claim that the 'Tribe of the Sioux' will be all that the name implies: a howling bunch of bucks on the warpath" (Dakota Student).

"Sioux" Replaces "Flickertail" as Caption of University Sports Teams reads the top of the Dakota Students on October 2, 1930.  In the first column, it read, "at convocation yesterday morning the formal and official announcement was made that the athletic board of control had conducted the rites of changing the name and had given their sanction to the abolition of Flickertail and the enactment of the more appropriate Sioux" (paragraph 2). According to the column, a minor movement to change the pep name had failed over the years, but it was a game between the University of North Dakota and St. Mary College that ended in a score of 26 to 0 that lead the students in pursuing a new name to coincide with their winning streak and to show their opponents how aggressive and powerful their team could be (paragraph 4 and 5).

Another editorial title "Flickertails are Sioux Warriors Now."  The author further states that "as for Flickertail, it never was used in any school cheers anyway.  War whoops at the end of all cheers instead of just a shout would help bring out the Sioux idea, but the superiority of Sioux over Flickertails is unquestionable" (Dakota Student, October 3, 1930, pg. 2).

In October 14, 1930, a headline read, First Sioux Pow-wow will Open Friday Night with Bonfire, Pep Rally. The writer started off by saying "Gathering for the first general assembly of the "Sioux Pow-wow", students Friday night will hit their cheering stride for Homecoming in the dancing shadows of the annual homecoming bonfire... and set the bonfire and pep-rally as the opening ceremony of the pow-wow... and talks by student leaders will fill in intervals between antics of the "Tribe of the Sioux" and the "Papooses" (paragraphs 1 and 2).   Don McCarthy, manager of the University Armory said "One of the greatest revelations of the modern terpsichore since the ancient red blood pow-wow" (paragraph 4).

A small booklet was produced in celebration of the homecoming.  The cover had a cartoon image of a Sioux warrior sitting on a horse looking with his hands over his forehead.  He is wearing a war bonnet and rifle across his lap.  The text reads First Annual Sioux Pow-wow, October 17-18, 1930.  Inside the booklet, is an announcement that states "... The name Sioux was recommended by the leaders in the plan.  The Board of Athletic Control on October 2 approved the recommendations of the students.  The student homecoming committees have asked that the schemes used in decorations and floats be Indian in character and that the name homecoming be changed to Pow Wow.  Accordingly this booklet has been garbed to follow this scheme" (Homecoming Booklet, 1930, p. 2).   The following pages had greetings from various university officials.  They each had their official title and their photographs pasted onto Indian characters along with Indian names.  The greetings were made by the following individuals: Thomas Kane (University President) as Chief Tom-a-Hawk Kane, Fred J. Traynor  (Alumni President) as Chief Smell-Pooder Traynor, J. W. Wilerson (Business Manager) as Chief "Wampum" Wilkerson, Frank J. Webb (Chair Homecoming Committee) as Chief "Web-Foot" Webb, C. A. West (Director of Athletics) as Chief "Bad Medicine" West, C. L. Starbeck (Assistant Coach) as Chief "Sitting-Buck" Starbeck, Glen Jarrett (Captain of Varsity Squad) as Chief "Fleetfoot" Jarrett, and Alvin Austin (Student Chair of Homecoming) as "Boy Chief" Austin.

For the next 39 years, the University of North Dakota's athletic nickname was the Sioux. In the 60s, the word "Fighting" was added to make it "Fighting Sioux."  During this time frame, many significant events took place in our society like WWII, Korean War, and the Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education to integrate public schools, Civil Rights Act, and the Vietnam War.  During the sixties, American Indian students from four reservations in North Dakota participated in a Head Start Career Development Program at the University of North Dakota (UND).  The program was designed for tribal members to take college level courses to earn their Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development or a four year Bachelor of Arts Degree (Dakota Student, paragraph 9).  On July 18, 1969 the American Indian students hosted a pow-wow ritual celebration to show appreciation for the education they received from the University.  Bernard Standing Crow said "this is our way of giving thanks for the educational opportunity and hospitality the university has extended to the members of our tribe who are participating in the Head Start Career Development Program on campus and the reservation" (paragraph 3).  Standing Crow continued with the program which motivated many members of the tribe to gain further education (paragraph 10).

Richard Cline (Summer Dakota Student Editor) wrote, "Over 300 filled the Prairie State Ballroom to witness a Sioux Indian pow-wow which saw UND President George W. Starcher adopted into the Sioux tribe and given the name "The Yankton Chief" (July 25, 1969). Cline described that "Mayor Loon spoke the ritual chants as the dancers performed... the Sioux tribe displayed a short tribal history narrated by Chief Bernard Standing Crow" (p.1).  Cline continued with "The Sioux dancers have performed in the United States and Europe and have planned a tour of Europe this fall" (p.1).  Standing Crow expressed that he would like to bring a bigger delegation in hope to participate in the homecoming festivities (p.1).  According to Cline, delegation from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation were Chief White Buffalo Man, a grandson of Chief Sitting Bull, Roger Eagle, Darlene Spidell, Katey Loon, Dennis Jardon, Earl Medicine Jr. Winnina Medecenlga, and Laverne Red Stone (p.1).

The night of July 18, 1969, was full of events including demonstrations of Sioux dancers, audiences participating in a 49er dance, and the UND President getting his Sioux name. Dr. Richard Plaman (head of Linguistics School at UND) also gained a Sioux name "llncute Agadi" (translated into Bring Back the Roan Horse), and the right to use "Fighting Sioux." Art Raymond wrote in the Dakota Student on July 21, 1969 a column titled 'Fighting Sioux' Get Uncpapa OK.' Raymond started off by saying "the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota now come by their name moralistically right. Friday night a band of Standing Rock (Uncpapa Sioux) formally gave UND teams the right to use the name of "Fighting Sioux" for their athletic teams" (paragraph 1& 2).  Forty years from this night, people will make reference that a pipe ceremony took place and it could not be undone.  Art Raymond did not mention any pipe ceremony or a sacred ritual to give the blessing.

Up to this point, the majority of the student body had been White students, so the caricature of Sioux was based upon the perspective of White students.  The rituals of school spirit, game events, and cheerleaders wearing war bonnets, and various social events to glorify the Fighting Sioux have become the social norm at UND.  The arrival of American Indian students from various reservations to purse a college degree changed the social environment that surrounds the Fighting Sioux.  In more recent years, you have tribal members questioning the rituals and antics of the nickname.  A member of University of North Dakota Indian Association (UNDIA) said in protest of the nickname, "The University can have the term the UND Sioux, that's just a White term for the Dakota Indian, but I don't like the way they use that Indian chief as a symbol of their University...hell, if this University had done one damn thing for the Indian, it could be justified" (Garcia, 1970).

Another UNDIA member expressed his disapproval of the images of the chief and Indians, stating "A lot of Indians don't even want to come to this big university with the big war chief symbol, and a lot them aren't able to come to this place, the home of the Fighting Sioux, a place that is promoting and at the same time exploiting Indians and has become a minor sort of show piece of the Indians, simply because of the use of the big Indian symbol and because of the location of the university" (Garcia, 1970).

The UNDIA student protest ignited a lot of awareness on campus in 1971.  UNDIA helped establish an Indian Center for students, Indian Studies Program, and an Indian student counselor position.  They also received assistance from other departments on campus in regards to eliminating an Indian head emblem used by Food Services (tea and sugar bags) and Waste Management (garbage trucks) (Garcia, 1971).

A controversy ignited on Saturday, January 29, 1972, when a group of American Indian people were on campus for George Whirlwind Soldier's graduation from the MEDEX Program. At that time, the group identified themselves as affiliated with the American Indian Movement(AIM).  They were driving on University Avenue and spotted an ice sculpture of a female with a bare chest and a sign that read "Lik'em Sioux."  The ice sculpture was part of the King Kold Karnival (KKK) that was sponsored by the Greek society.  Sigma Nu was given until 1:00 pm to take down the sculpture.  Mr. Whirlwind Soldier was later arrested and the UND President, Thomas J. Clifford, posted bail.  Assault charges were later dropped for Mr. Whirlwind Soldier for beating up three UND fraternity members regarding the ice sculpture that he found derogatory.

Two decades later, another incident emerged that involved Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Tau Omega Fraternities.  The American Indian students filed a complaint with the Dean of Students Office on October 28, 1992.  The complaint was that the homecoming float sponsored by two fraternities were shouting racial slurs and derogatory actions (tomahawk chop) directed at the UNDIA float.  Some of the slurs were "Go Back to the pow-wow and Go back to the reservation" (Huschka, 1992).  Sarah Jumping Eagle (President of UNDIA) said "it leads to the tolerance of these offensive acts."  And she continued "it is inevitable the school's name be questioned, because it allows students to think racial slurs against Native Americans are okay" (Huschka, 1992).

The homecoming float incident resulted in the establishment of a student organization called SOAR which stood for Student Organization Against Racism.  One of the organization's objectives was to dismantle the school's nickname.  They went to work by conducting a petition driven to change UND's Fighting Sioux nickname (Huschka, 1992).  The petition was presented to President Kendall Baker and he reassured them that there would be some kind of compromise in dealing with the incident and getting rid of the nickname.

On January 12, 1993, President Baker announced he would not drop the nickname, but instead he was going to sponsor two educational forums where both sides could argue their merits. Baker went on by saying "I think we should use (the forums) as opportunities to explore some other important issues..." (Huschka, 1993).

February 19, 1993, the Athletics Department announced that it would start using a geometric logo and phase out the Native American caricature of a Blackhawk by the end of the year.  Some of the reasons for a new logo for the Fighting Sioux made marketing a bit difficult for university athletics (Dakota Student).

In the fall of 1997, Building Roads Into Diverse Group Empowering Students (B.R.I.D.G.E.S.), a multicultural student organization, was formed to advocate changing the mascot/logo/nickname of the Fighting Sioux (Dakota Student, October 7, 1997, p. 5). By 1999, B.R.I.D.G.E.S. gained widespread support from organizations and tribes requesting UND to drop its nickname and logo, the Fighting Sioux.  The UND Student Senate passed a resolution to discontinue use of "Fighting Sioux," the UND student body president at that time vetoed the resolution, this student body president went on to become Ralph Engelstad Arena manager, a similar resolution brought before the N.D. House of Representatives received a "do not pass" vote,  the UND ROTC Battalion dropped the use of "Fighting Sioux,"  and nine tribes called for the end of the name use: Spirit Lake Nation, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton/Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Yankton Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Three Affiliated Tribe, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.  Despite all of the tribal resolutions, a new Fighting Sioux logo was unveiled by the artist, Ben Brien, a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa. The following year (2000), Ralph Engelstad made an offer that the University couldn't refuse.  He offered $100 million with 50% going to a new arena and 50% to academics. Meanwhile, Engelstad became furious at a number of UND faculty for speaking out against the nickname.  Following that, the arena ended up costing $105 million and no money was donated to academics.  There were other stipulations attached to this donation from Engelstad:  the building remains self-sufficient, the University still does not own the arena, and the nickname remains The Fighting Sioux.

On August 5, 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced a new policy that prohibits colleges and universities from displaying hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames, or imagery.  UND appeal the policy and got denied.  UND made the argument that they have used the nickname in a very respectful way, stating that the use of "Fighting Sioux" is to honor the Sioux tribes and they don't have a mascot.  The NCAA felt that UND was not complying with the policy.  April, 2006, UND was denied the final appeal that lead to the next level of legal action.

On June 15, 2006, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (NDSBHE) voted 8-0 to sue the NCAA.  By November 2006, the two sides faced off in Grand Forks, ND Federal Court. It took almost one year for both parties to agree upon a settlement.  Later, it was revealed that the REA funded this legal battle for UND.

October 26, 2007, UND was given three years to gain approval from the two namesake tribes of the state, the Spirit Lake Nation and the Standing Rock Tribe.  Spirit Lake gave their blessings on April 21, 2009 following a referendum vote promoted and influenced by the REA, in which 67 percent voted yes.  The Standing Rock Tribe stood firm on their tribal resolution (February 11, 1998) requesting UND to discontinue the use of Fighting Sioux. UND failed many attempts to gain approval from Standing Rock by the deadline on April 18, 2010, NDSBHE gave order to retire and phase out the Fighting Sioux by August of 2011.

In the Spring of 2011, the North Dakota Legislative introduced three House Bills (HB1208, 1257, and 1263) designed to retain the nickname through the passage of a state law, on March11, 2011, HB 1257 was passed 28-15 despite a settlement with the NCAA.  The following week, Governor Jack Dalrymple signed it into law.  The author and sponsor of the law, Al Carlson, reportedly has a sign posted in his office that reads "Fighting Sioux-it's the law."  When this law was passed, UND was well into its official transition period, which has since been halted.  People question who this law was passed for when every level of government at UND was unified in opposition to it.  There remains little doubt that the wealth and political power of the REA was a major factor.

FORT TOTTEN, N.D. -- My mother, a fluent Dakota language speaker, said this about her beloved Dakota language: "It's very descriptive; you say what you mean and you mean what you say."

 

This inherent honesty in our Dakota/Lakota/Nakota language made it hard for a Dakota person to be untruthful. This honesty prompted George Catlin, an artist who spent time among Indian tribes in the early 1800s to state: "I love a people who are honest without laws."

 

English, on the other hand, is so vast and sophisticated that it lets people misrepresent, mislead and outright falsify information without being held accountable.

 

Such is the case with the recent press release by The Committee for Understanding and Respect. In it, the committee members are rewriting history, ignoring facts and making outrageously claims -- all within the bounds of the English language.

 

They insinuate that they speak for the Sioux nation, but nothing could be further from the truth. All Sioux Nations with the exception of Spirit Lake have gone on record to oppose the Fighting Sioux nickname.

 

They say a special bond has been created and cultivated between UND and all American Indians due to the nickname; absolutely not true. Those of us actually who attended UND over the past 40 years didn't imagine the hostile and abusive environment we encountered, an environment caused by the used of the nickname.

 

They say the Fighting Sioux symbol has brought two warring cultures together -- again not true. Read the vile and racist comments in the comment section of North Dakota newspapers. And I've had some pretty hostile conversations with Fighting Sioux supporters over the past year. It has pushed race relations back by 40 years.

 

They claim to stand on truth and principle, then in the same sentence say there has been no proof of hostility or abuse, nor of harm to UND or its student body or student athletes. Do the track-and-field athletes who've been denied a chance to compete at the University of Iowa agree?

 

The committee's lawsuit against the NCAA is intended not to win in court but to sway the voting public. I read the NCAA's motion to dismiss, and it reads like a 30-page spanking. It would be laughable if it weren't for the harm it will do to our sovereignty: Every time a tribe files and loses a frivolous lawsuit, it erodes our tribal sovereignty even more.

 

People have asked, Why haven't we held press conferences, hired lawyers, given speeches and so on? Because it is not our way. Although we are firmly against the name, we don't want to drag others into it and have them fight our fight for us.

 

Therefore, we don't put as much effort into dragging elders, cousins, friends and so on into the dispute as the committee does.

 

True, that's how it's done in the white-man's society, and maybe we should do it that way, too. But many of us are uncomfortable with that un-Dakota type of behavior.

 

And, we seen how divisive this issue is on our reservations. We all have to live here together; we want to get along with everyone.

 

As I mentioned, the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate already won this fight. Standing Rock wouldn't capitulate. It's now in the non-Indian arena, so let the non-Indians -- with the help of a few Indian supporters -- insult, threaten, argue and so on over it.

 

Why is the committee deviating from the traditional honesty that is part of our culture and inherent in out Dakota language? Because it is asking the people of North Dakota to do something that's against their common sense: vote for an issue that will destroy athletics at their flagship university.

 

In closing, the committee may refer to culture in their speeches and press releases, but that's just modern-day spin; nothing more, nothing less. The hard truth is the Fighting Sioux nickname is hostile and abusive to American Indians who have attended, are currently attending and will attend UND. Our ancestors must be spinning in their graves.

I spent some time over New Years with a man named Dr. Erich Longie, a Dakota man from the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota.  Erich is a tall man of basketball-player proportions, about 6 foot 2, (actually I'm 5'11" I just appear bigger to white people. EL) has long graying hair, and a very pronounced limp to his walk.  Erich runs a consulting firm in North Dakota.  His presence is very calming and he speaks softly and with Malcolm X-like logic.  He also speaks with the kind of honesty and disclosure that invites respect.  Even the very young relate to and listen to Dr. Longie.

My 5-year-old son was with us part of the time and later, apart from me; he whispered Erich's name and official title while going to sleep.  My wife heard our son say gently:  "Dr. Longie.  He's the coolest Doctor."  Erich's doctorate is in educational leadership so my son knew that he was not the kind of hated doctor who takes temperatures, tests reflexes and gives dreaded shots with long needles.

Myself being non-Native but being married to a Native woman, I relish chances to speak to Dr. Longie, as he is an elder in the Spirit Lake community.  Over the course of a few days, we covered a number of serious topics, very personal topics, some concerning my marriage into the Indian community.  I won't share all of these topics with you.  Some of Erik's opinions, about my marriage's chances of flourishing and surviving, were very tough for me to hear; some of them were indeed devastating pronouncements, predictions of great difficulty, or judgments based on a perspective of cultural knowledge that took time to digest for me.

You see, Erich met me some time before my marriage started, and as he knew me, I was a very typical, mainstream, so-called dominant culture college student of so-called middle-class Anglo origin.  I held myself in high regard.  Perhaps Erik saw the crippling arrogance, which I unconsciously showed in the way I had once held myself.  This arrogance was a trait far from the normal ways of the Chippewa Culture into which I was soon to marry.  This arrogance seemed to Erich typical of a young Non-Native, but very un-likely to exist in the persona of a youthful person able to successfully wend his ways towards a culture like an American Indian's. 

Arrogance must break many a marriage.  A white man is not going to last in a red culture if he is arrogant.  He will degrade himself, his family, and his new community.  Self-assurance, pride, and confidence in one's abilities are necessary.  But arrogance does not work well with a society where humility is a central, core virtue.

I knew this before Dr. Longie opened this to me.  It was evident in many conflicts I had had with my wife, in many situations where I felt uncomfortable, and in many private thoughts that I have had to hide across years of agonizing secret turmoil.  Arrogance has haunted me like a ghost.  It haunts me as you see me stand before you.

But after one revealing talk with Dr. Longie, I became reflective and drew strength from these reflective thoughts.  I reflected on a particular family member, a young man who is my wife's nephew, her brother Jeff's son.  This young man's name is Mike.  Mike is a young Chippewa man who has known some trouble in his life, but who has always remained humble through these tough times.  I have never known Mike to be arrogant.  Mike has taught me a lot just by being in his presence.  With kids, Mike's true genius is shown.  I see Mike's humble genius in the workings of his hands, the way he holds, lifts, cradles, plays, pushes and hugs kids.  Mike always has a funny comment to make in a timely way - but, again, I see his true humor, personality, grace and joy by watching his two hands.  It's hard to describe, but it's almost like his ancestors, especially his grandmother, my wife's mother who I never knew and who has gone to the Spirit World, is in the workings of Mike's hands when he holds kids.  Mike's ancestors must have been beautiful people.  Their ways are in Mike's hands' moves.

I find myself imitating Mike's abilities with kids, especially with my wife and my adopted son Hunter, the boy of all of our dreams, the spiritual presence, the beautiful brat, the gifted goof-ball:  a 5 year old boy.  He is my adopted son.  He is Mike's biological son.  Hunter, my adopted son, is, in actuality, Mike's son.  Hunter knows me as "da-da."  Mike is "Daddy Mike." 

It has taken humility for me to accept that we are all raising Hunter, that Hunter needs his relationship with all the adults in his life, and that I may not know best in all situations.  And as I grow within the beauty of an Indian community, my borrowed, unwanted arrogance will fade.

Dr. Longie's words humbled me.  Actually, they scared the crap out of me.  Why?  Because I knew they were true.  But I also know that I need to listen to Dr. Longie because he had a profound effect on my 5-year old.  "Mr. Longie," Hunter whispered as he fell to sleep.  "He's the best doctor," whispered my son.  It has to be true.

Entering or contacting a new culture is difficult.  Those virtues you have in one culture may be vices within another.  But, my advice is, listen to the words of some people and watch the hands of others.  You might find medicine in your observations, in your dreams of crossing over intact and in love.

From what I gather, there are enough of us Spirit Lake Tribal Members who want the Woodlake tribal council representative to step down due to his having been convicted of a sexual assault (misdemeanor).  As a result, a Special General Assembly is scheduled on Monday to bring the issue before the people for discussion.

 

There is nothing in our tribal Constitution that addresses misdemeanor sexual crimes and/or convictions. A councilman or woman has to be convicted of a felony while in office before they can be forced to step down.  This is probably why the Woodlake rep hasn't stepped down although he has been asked to. 

 

And, I'm sure this is the reason many of his friends, relatives and even some of his constituents feel that it is not anybody's business but theirs if they want him to continue to serve as their councilman even after his sexual assault conviction became public. After all, they probably reason, it's a misdemeanor not a felony.

 

However, there is a difference between what is morally right and what is legally right. And, as Dakota people we know that many times what is morally right is more important than what is legally right.

 

It is this knowledge of what is moral and immoral, that is putting us tribal members who are not from the Woodlake district in this (moral) dilemma: We do not want someone who was convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense to represent our tribe, yet we respect the fact that it should be up to the people of Woodlake District to have him resign.

 

Or, does our unease regarding the morality of the Wood Lake District rep's conviction of sexual assault allow us to trump the rights of the people who reside in Wood Lake?  They want to have who they want to represent them regardless of his conduct.  And we want to remove him from office.

 

My answer is yes.  I believe the Woodlake Representative's conduct that resulted in his conviction rises to a level of immorality that the decision whether or not he should remain in office should not be left just to Woodlake.  Instead I believe that all Districts should have a say in whether or not he stays if office or he steps down. Here are my reasons:

 

1.     Although we lose sight of it, one of the primary functions of political leaders is to be role models for the young people in our communities. It is my belief this representative has failed in this. We should not allow a man who hurt women and/or children lead our people because men in our culture hold women and children sacred.

 

2.     Is his misdemeanor a signpost as to who he really is?  This is a valid concern, as many people believe sex offenders have a different moral compass than the rest of us. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves these questions:  Has he performed his job in an exemplary manner? Has he earned the respect and trust of all tribal members, not just his friends and relatives from his district?

 

3.     We need to know the specifics of his conduct that led to his conviction.  Was his conduct morally revolting enough so that people who voted for him would not have done so had they known of his conviction?  At the minimum, he needs to come clean; at the upcoming meeting he should tell what happened that resulted in his conviction.

 

4.     In my opinion, he committed fraud to win the election. If my memory serves me right he won by an extremely narrow margin. How many voters would not have voted for him had they known of his sexual assault conviction? I would be willing to go out on a limb and say he would not have won the election had voters known about his conviction.

 

5.     He is bringing shame to the Spirit Lake Nation, as he is not only representing Woodlake District but all Spirit Lakers when he travels. Can you imagine what people will think of us when they learn one of our council members was convicted of sexual assault?  One SL elder winyan said to me "OMG, he needs to be out, it's embarrassing! Even stealing is better than sexual assault."

 

6.     Finally, what kind of message are we sending to our women when a man can abuse them and then be held in high esteem by holding office in the community?

 

I understand there will be individuals who will want him to remain in his position. However, I am sure those reasons are mainly of a selfish nature. They probably are expecting favors or some other preferential treatment from him, which is why they will continue to support him. However, it is time for the rest of us tribal members to hold our tribal council members to high standards. If we would hold them to high standards, we would be making one more step to better government. And, this is a good start.

 

In closing, one thing is certain this controversy will not go away if the Woodlake rep does not step down. It will continue to dog the Woodlake Rep and the Tribal Council diminishing their effectiveness and their reputation.  Therefore, I call on our Tribal Chairman and the rest of the tribal council members to join with the majority of us tribal members and publicly call for the Woodlake rep to resign.  Without this sordid incident hanging over their heads, the tribal council will be able to move for forward and conduct business with one less distraction.

Quoted from: The Hidden History of Massachusetts

Much of America's understanding of the early relationship between the Indian and the European is conveyed through the story of Thanksgiving. Proclaimed a holiday in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, this fairy tale of a feast was allowed to exist in the American imagination pretty much untouched until 1970, the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. That is when Frank B. James, president of the Federated Eastern Indian League, prepared a speech for a Plymouth banquet that exposed the Pilgrims for having committed, among other crimes, the robbery of the graves of the Wampanoags. He wrote:
 
"We welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people."
 
But white Massachusetts officials told him he could not deliver such a speech and offered to write him another. Instead, James declined to speak, and on Thanksgiving Day hundreds of Indians from around the country came to protest. It was the first National Day of Mourning, a day to mark the losses Native Americans suffered as the early settlers prospered. This true story of "Thanksgiving" is what whites did not want Mr. James to tell.
 
What Really Happened in Plymouth in 1621?
According to a single-paragraph account in the writings of one Pilgrim, a harvest feast did take place in Plymouth in 1621, probably in mid-October, but the Indians who attended were not even invited. Though it later became known as "Thanksgiving," the Pilgrims never called it that. And amidst the imagery of a picnic of interracial harmony is some of the most terrifying bloodshed in New World history.
 
The Pilgrim crop had failed miserably that year, but the agricultural expertise of the Indians had produced twenty acres of corn, without which the Pilgrims would have surely perished. The Indians often brought food to the Pilgrims, who came from England ridiculously unprepared to survive and hence relied almost exclusively on handouts from the overly generous Indians-thus making the Pilgrims the western hemisphere's first class of welfare recipients. The Pilgrims invited the Indian sachem Massasoit to their feast, and it was Massasoit, engaging in the tribal tradition of equal sharing, who then invited ninety or more of his Indian brothers and sisters-to the annoyance of the 50 or so ungrateful Europeans. No turkey, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie was served; they likely ate duck or geese and the venison from the 5 deer brought by Massasoit. In fact, most, if notall, of the food was most likely brought and prepared by the Indians, whose 10,000-year familiarity with the cuisine of the region had kept the whites alive up to that point.
 
The Pilgrims wore no black hats or buckled shoes-these were the silly inventions of artists hundreds of years since that time. These lower-class Englishmen wore brightly colored clothing, with one of their church leaders recording among his possessions "1 paire of greene drawers." Contrary to the fabricated lore of storytellers generations since, no Pilgrims prayed at the meal, and the supposed good cheer and fellowship must have dissipated quickly once the Pilgrims brandished their weaponry in a primitive display of intimidation. What's more, the Pilgrims consumed a good deal of home brew. In fact, each Pilgrim drank at least a half gallon of beer a day, which they preferred even to water. This daily inebriation led their governor, William Bradford, to comment on his people's "notorious sin," which included their "drunkenness and uncleanliness" and rampant "sodomy"...
 
The Pilgrims of Plymouth, The Original Scalpers
Contrary to popular mythology the Pilgrims were no friends to the local Indians. They were engaged in a ruthless war of extermination against their hosts, even as they falsely posed as friends. Just days before the alleged Thanksgiving love-fest, a company of Pilgrims led by Myles Standish actively sought to chop off the head of a local chief. They deliberately caused a rivalry between two friendly Indians, pitting one against the other in an attempt to obtain "better intelligence and make them both more diligent." An 11-foot-high wall was erected around the entire settlement for the purpose of keeping the Indians out.
 
Any Indian who came within the vicinity of the Pilgrim settlement was subject to robbery, enslavement, or even murder. The Pilgrims further advertised their evil intentions and white racial hostility, when they mounted five cannons on a hill around their settlement, constructed a platform for artillery, and then organized their soldiers into four companies-all in preparation for the military destruction of their friends the Indians.
Pilgrim Myles Standish eventually got his bloody prize. He went to the Indians, pretended to be a trader, then beheaded an Indian man named Wituwamat. He brought the head to Plymouth, where it was displayed on a wooden spike for many years, according to Gary B. Nash, "as a symbol of white power." Standish had the Indian man's young brother hanged from the rafters for good measure. From that time on, the whites were known to the Indians of Massachusetts by the name "Wotowquenange," which in their tongue meant cutthroats and stabbers.
 
Who Were the "Savages"?
The myth of the fierce, ruthless Indian savage lusting after the blood of innocent Europeans must be vigorously dispelled at this point. In actuality, the historical record shows that the very opposite was true.
 
Once the European settlements stabilized, the whites turned on their hosts in a brutal way. The once amicable relationship was breeched again and again by the whites, who lusted over the riches of Indian land. A combination of the Pilgrims' demonization of the Indians, the concocted mythology of Eurocentric historians, and standard Hollywood propaganda has served to paint the gentle Indian as a tomahawk-swinging savage endlessly on the warpath, lusting for the blood of the God-fearing whites.
 
But the Pilgrims' own testimony obliterates that fallacy. The Indians engaged each other in military contests from time to time, but the causes of "war," the methods, and the resulting damage differed profoundly from the European variety:
 
o Indian "wars" were largely symbolic and were about honor, not about territory or extermination.
 
o "Wars" were fought as domestic correction for a specific act and were ended when correction was achieved. Such action might better be described as internal policing. The conquest or destruction of whole territories was a European concept.
 
o Indian "wars" were often engaged in by family groups, not by whole tribal groups, and would involve only the family members.
 
o A lengthy negotiation was engaged in between the aggrieved parties before escalation to physical confrontation would be sanctioned. Surprise attacks were unknown to the Indians.
 
o It was regarded as evidence of bravery for a man to go into "battle" carrying no weapon that would do any harm at a distance-not even bows and arrows. The bravest act in war in some Indian cultures was to touch their adversary and escape before he could do physical harm.
 
o The targeting of non-combatants like women, children, and the elderly was never contemplated. Indians expressed shock and repugnance when the Europeans told, and then showed, them that they considered women and children fair game in their style of warfare.
 
o A major Indian "war" might end with less than a dozen casualties on both sides. Often, when the arrows had been expended the "war" would be halted. The European practice of wiping out whole nations in bloody massacres was incomprehensible to the Indian.
 
According to one scholar, "The most notable feature of Indian warfare was its relative innocuity." European observers of Indian wars often expressed surprise at how little harm they actually inflicted. "Their wars are far less bloody and devouring than the cruel wars of Europe," commented settler Roger Williams in 1643. Even Puritan warmonger and professional soldier Capt. John Mason scoffed at Indian warfare: "[Their] feeble manner...did hardly deserve the name of fighting." Fellow warmonger John Underhill spoke of the Narragansetts, after having spent a day "burning and spoiling" their country: "no Indians would come near us, but run from us, as the deer from the dogs." He concluded that the Indians might fight seven years and not kill seven men. Their fighting style, he wrote, "is more for pastime, than to conquer and subdue enemies."
 
All this describes a people for whom war is a deeply regrettable last resort. An agrarian people, the American Indians had devised a civilization that provided dozens of options all designed to avoid conflict--the very opposite of Europeans, for whom all-out war, a ferocious bloodlust, and systematic genocide are their apparent life force. Thomas Jefferson--who himself advocated the physical extermination of the American Indian--said of Europe, "They [Europeans] are nations of eternal war. All their energies are expended in the destruction of labor, property and lives of their people."
 
Puritan Holocaust
By the mid 1630s, a new group of 700 even holier Europeans calling themselves Puritans had arrived on 11 ships and settled in Boston-which only served to accelerate the brutality against the Indians.
 
In one incident around 1637, a force of whites trapped some seven hundred Pequot Indians, mostly women, children, and the elderly, near the mouth of the Mystic River. Englishman John Mason attacked the Indian camp with "fire, sword, blunderbuss, and tomahawk." Only a handful escaped and few prisoners were taken-to the apparent delight of the Europeans:
 
To see them frying in the fire, and the streams of their blood quenching the same, and the stench was horrible; but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave praise thereof to God.
 
This event marked the first actual Thanksgiving. In just 10 years 12,000 whites had invaded New England, and as their numbers grew they pressed for all-out extermination of the Indian. Euro-diseases had reduced the population of the Massachusett nation from over 24,000 to less than 750; meanwhile, the number of European settlers in Massachusetts rose to more than 20,000 by 1646.
 
By 1675, the Massachusetts Englishmen were in a full-scale war with the great Indian chief of the Wampanoags, Metacomet. Renamed "King Philip" by the white man, Metacomet watched the steady erosion of the lifestyle and culture of his people as European-imposed laws and values engulfed them.
 
In 1671, the white man had ordered Metacomet to come to Plymouth to enforce upon him a new treaty, which included the humiliating rule that he could no longer sell his own land without prior approval from whites. They also demanded that he turn in his community's firearms. Marked for extermination by the merciless power of a distant king and his ruthless subjects, Metacomet retaliated in 1675 with raids on several isolated frontier towns. Eventually, the Indians attacked 52 of the 90 New England towns, destroying 13 of them. The Englishmen ultimately regrouped, and after much bloodletting defeated the great Indian nation, just half a century after their arrival on Massachusetts soil. Historian Douglas Edward Leach describes the bitter end:
 
The ruthless executions, the cruel sentences...were all aimed at the same goal-unchallengeable white supremacy in southern New England. That the program succeeded is convincingly demonstrated by the almost complete docility of the local native ever since.
 
When Captain Benjamin Church tracked down and murdered Metacomet in 1676, his body was quartered and parts were "left for the wolves." The great Indian chief's hands were cut off and sent to Boston and his head went to Plymouth, where it was set upon a pole on the real first "day of public Thanksgiving for the beginning of revenge upon the enemy." Metacomet's nine-year-old son was destined for execution because, the whites reasoned, the offspring of the devil must pay for the sins of their father. The child was instead shipped to the Caribbean to spend his life in slavery.
 
As the Holocaust continued, several official Thanksgiving Days were proclaimed. Governor Joseph Dudley declared in 1704 a "General Thanksgiving"-not in celebration of the brotherhood of man-but for [God's] infinite Goodness to extend His Favors...In defeating and disappointing... the Expeditions of the Enemy [Indians] against us, And the good Success given us against them, by delivering so many of them into our hands...
 
Just two years later one could reap a ££50 reward in Massachusetts for the scalp of an Indian-demonstrating that the practice of scalping was a European tradition. According to one scholar, "Hunting redskins became...a popular sport in New England, especially since prisoners were worth good money..."

Below is a letter written by a direct descendant of Myles Standish after he read The Real Thanksgiving:

Dear Dr. Paul:
 
Thank you for posting that article about the Real Thanksgiving, and the role of Myles Standish in early Plymouth. I am a descendent of Standish and it has been my goal to understand him and the events concerning him in a deeper way. I want to know ALL the history. I've read the WASP approved version and it's good to see the other versions coming to light.
 
I work very closely with my ancestors and live my life to redeem their blood. A better knowing of the results of their actions helps in two ways; it clears the propaganda and glamour from my eyes and it inspires me to be a better person in my daily decisions and living. It also teaches me history. Which I wasn't very good at in high school. Now it has a whole new meaning as I think about my ancestors living in those times and places. My nieces and nephews will learn the truth from me. And their children too.
 
For what its worth, I apologise for my grandfathers actions. Indeed all my ancestors.
 
Respectfully and sincerely,
Clarence Standish, IV
 

November 3, 2011

 

Spirit Lake Tribal Council

Spirit Lake Nation

Fort Totten, ND 58335

 

Honorable Spirit Lake Tribal Councilmembers,

 

Dakotas are pretty much a live and let live people. Although we had serious concerns when you granted unlimited, unsupervised authority to the Committee for Understanding Respect we didn't say much. Why? Because we knew the Committee had already lost their fight to keep the name in the ND Supreme court. And Standing Rock's refusal to let SBHE use our name pretty much ended our involvement in the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo fight.  We were content to let the SBHE and ND legislature fight over it.

 

However, the actions taken by the Committee since your decision to give them unlimited authority to raise and spend money on our behalf has been extreme and does not accurately reflect our culture, history and traditions of our tribe.

 

As a result we (tribal member) are taking around a petition that we hope will result in the people invoking the authority you have bestowed on the Committee.  We are well on the way to collecting the required number of signatures needed to force a referendum on the issue.

 

However, we would prefer not to have the tribe go through a very costly, very public referendum that will promote vicious infighting among tribal members.  This in turn will surely bring more shame and ridicule on our tribe.

 

Therefore, we respectfully request you (tribal council) take it upon your selves to rescind the resolution that gave the Committee unlimited authority. This would bring about an immediate resolution to this crisis. 

 

We have very good reasons for making this request. Reasons that were not made public before. But, now due to the circumstances, we are forced to air them:

 

1.     Representatives of the tribe in a ten million dollar lawsuit should have exemplary character:   At least two members of the Committee have been involved and/or convicted of stealing money from Spirit Lake tribe or, from the US government. At least one has served prison time. Another close supporter and speaker for the committee at public event have also been convicted of a crime regarding tribal funds.

2.     The tribal council is duly elected to represent us in local, state and federal issues. One of the qualifications to become a tribal council member is not to have been convicted of a felony. 

3.     How do we know the committee is not misusing funds that they have raised thus far?  With a history of fiscal irresponsibly by several of its member this is a real and grave concern among us tribal members. If some funds they raised are misappropriated it will be our tribe that will have to pay them back.

4.     The Committee appeared to take the authority to say and do whatever they want.  This arrogance has now been directed towards fellow tribal member. Tribal members were denied their rights to speak at press conference called by the Committee and tribal council. One person close to the committee accused a tribal member who spoke at the conference as "half breed".

5.     One member of the committee was not raised on the reservation.  He moved here approximately 15 years ago. He does not know the history of our tribe. Therefore, he is disingenuous when he speaks about our culture and history.  He does not speak for our ancestors. And he keeps repeating we "gave" UND the name as a gift. This is an outright falsehood. We who were born and raised here on Spirit Lake know our parents and grand parents never gave UND anything.

6.     NCAA's policies are not an attack on our culture or our way of life. We were here long before NCAA and we will be here long after NCAA.

7.     Both UND/SBHE have said repeatedly they want to retire the name. Why are we forcing something on them they no longer want? That is not the Dakota way.

8.     As a tribe, we don't even call our self "Sioux" anymore. In 1996 there was a referendum in which the people voted to change our name from the Devils Lake Sioux Indian Reservations to Spirit Lake Nation.

9.     We respect the Committee's dedication to keeping the name, but they do not have to drag the entire tribal membership into their fight.

 

To use the Committee's logic that we gave our name as a gift to UND, let me close with this story that demonstrates how foolish carrying on the fight over a logo has become:

 

Dear Committee for Understanding and Respect,

Years ago your people generously gave me a jacket; it was fashionable then and I thanked you for it. I wore it many times, but it is now worn out and stained. Moreover, times have changed, and it is no longer fashionable. You know, not everyone liked the jacket. I was often denigrated and ridiculed when I wore it. I realize you take pride in that jacket and that some of you felt honored when I wore it, but please understand I am not going to wear it any longer. I'm sorry if some of you feel hurt and angry with this, but really, it is my jacket, it is my choice, and you have no say in what I wear.

What? You've hired lawyers to try to make me wear that jacket! You got to be kidding! What judge would concede to wearing an outdated, outmoded jacket that even he will find offensive? Save your money! Thank you.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

Erich Longie,

(On behalf of Spirit Lake tribal members who are opposed to the Committee for understanding and Respect)

 

October 14, 2011

North Dakota University System
10th Floor, State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Ave, Dept. 215
Bismarck, ND 58505-0230

 Mr. Grant Shaft,

We, the signatories of this letter (Spirit Lake tribal members) speak on behalf of the three 300+ tribal members who want to see the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo retired.

Over 300 hundred Spirit Lake tribal members voted against UND's continued use of the Sioux name.  We believe that number has now grown, possibly doubled since the referendum on the name.

We do not agree with and we are embarrassed by the threats our fellow tribal members are making on behalf of the Spirit Lake Nation.  The Committee for Understanding and Respect's indiscriminate threats neither increase understanding or respect for our Dakota way of life nor do they speak for the hundreds of Spirit Lake tribal members who want to see the name retired.

Our (Sioux) traditional values are courage, honesty, generosity, respect, and perseverance. The value of generosity is most apparent in our traditional giveaways and ceremonies. Gifts are freely given with no strings attached with the understanding that the recipient will use the gift as needed.  For example, a person is gifted a horse and he/she can now use or even sell the horse without consulting the person who provided the gift.  After all, the horse now belongs to the new owner.  We have never witnessed or heard of a Sioux who follows our traditional values provide a gift to someone and then try to direct how they use their gift.  

We understand our (Sioux) way of giving may be different from another's way of giving and we respect cultural differences. For example, the Ralph Englestad Arena was "given" to UND, yet ownership and management are controlled by the Ralph Englestad Foundation rather than the University of North Dakota (UND).  We do not understand that type of giving, but if that's their way, that's their way.

For arguments sake, let us say there was a legitimate pipe ceremony by Standing Rock's ancestors giving the "Sioux" name to UND.  The ceremony and the "gift" of a name would fall under cultural norms as I have previously explained. This would mean that a Sioux who lives according to the above traditional values would NOT intercede if UND decided to retire or give the name away.  No true traditional Sioux would dream of not respecting the pipe that was used when the ceremony was conducted.

In closing, we can't think of a reason why the SBHE would need permission to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo from anyone considering the ND Supreme court ruling in the SBHE's favor [Davidson v. State (2010)]. However, just in case, the SBHE is seeking permission to retire the name we say this: for what it's worth, on behalf of the hundreds of Spirit Lakers, on behalf of the thousands of Sioux, and on behalf of all the Sioux Nations that issued resolutions, stating their opposition to UND keeping the name, we hereby give you permission to retire the name.

 

As a Herald story noted Friday, the pro-logo individual(s) did not do well in the tribal elections. This debunks the claim by non-Indians and Indians who are not enrolled at the Rock that Standing Rock is strongly pro-logo.

By: Erich Longie,

By Erich Longie

FORT TOTTEN, N.D. -- A lot of attention has been given to the letters written to the Big Sky Conference by my fellow tribal members and their Committee for Understanding and Respect.

What got much less attention were the results of the tribal election held at Standing Rock on Oct. 6. But the outcome of that election had more potential to influence the outcome of the nickname and logo issue than the letters written by my fellow Spirit Lakers.

As a Herald story noted Friday, the pro-logo individual(s) did not do well in the tribal elections ("Nickname supporter loses bid for tribal seat," Page A1).

This debunks the claim by non-Indians and Indians who are not enrolled at the Rock that Standing Rock is strongly pro-logo.

Many pro-logo people were hoping the outcome of the election at Standing Rock would result in a vote on the Fighting Sioux nickname. (In my view, that's the real reason House Majority Leader Al Carlson went back on his word shortly after his meeting with NCAA.)

So, with the elections at Standing Rock now over, have we taken another step toward the retirement of a symbol of conquest commonly known as the Fighting Sioux logo? Maybe.

But how many times has each side thought it had victory in its grasp only to have it snatched away?

Not so many years ago, our Spirit Lake Tribal Council refused to meet with then-UND President Charles Kupchella on the logo issue. And I remember attending a General Assembly when the logo issue was brought up -- and was overwhelmingly defeated.

Now, our reservation has a resolution supporting the name, and my fellow tribal members are threatening to take action against the Big Sky Conference, UND and the State Board of Higher Education.

Although I'm not a lawyer, I'm comfortable enough in my knowledge to say this: Our tribal court does not have jurisdiction over either UND or the state board.

And I say this with some regret, because although I am strongly against the name, I think it would be very nice indeed if our court did have jurisdiction over state institutions. For if it did, the Committee for Understanding and Respect could sue the Al Carlson-led Legislature for rejecting six bills that would have allocated close to a million dollars to address American Indian issues.

There are about 6,700 Spirit Lake tribal members. Some 700-plus voted for the name, which is roughly 10 percent of our total population.

Meanwhile, the combined population of all Sioux reservations is more than 110,000. Leaders of these reservations have signed a resolution against the name.

So, the 700-plus who voted for the name comprise less than 1 percent of the entire Sioux Nation. Hardly an overwhelming majority, I would say.

The majority of Spirit Lake tribal members who have graduated from UND are against the name and have signed a letter to that effect.

Much ado has been made of the Sioux "disappearing" if the logo is retired. This is the most foolish, racist argument of them all. Not one Caucasian has come up to me and said they are proud to meet a "Fighting Sioux" (me). On the other hand, many, many Caucasians have come up to me and shook my hand after I received my doctorate from UND.

It will be UND that will be forgotten if pro-logo supporters insist on keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

Last but not least, a Herald editorial stated the only reason the nickname is going to be retired is because of NCAA's policy ("NCAA, not Big Sky, deserves committee's wrath," Page D1, Oct. 9).

Hmm: After all that has transpired because of the nickname over the past 40 years, it is sad to note that the editorial board and likely others still don't understand that it is derogatory to use a race of people as nicknames, mascots or logos.

Or, maybe they have, and they just don't have the courage of their convictions to state it publicly due to fear of retaliation by pro-logo supporters.

Longie is president of Spirit Lake Consulting.

 

In a letter to the Turtle Mountain Times ( June 25, 2007) The writer starts by saying:

I've always believed when a person even steals one penny from a tribal program, that person steals not from the program, but from each and every member of the tribe.

Unfortunately, the writer goes on to say,

Nothing is being done to correct the problems. Corruption, nepotism, and outright theft still exist. Our 'tribe' does nothing to protect the whistle-blowers. People still live in fear, and the outspoken people on this reservation are marginalized and blacklisted.

 

Becoming an Ethical Manager

There are literally hundreds of educational institutions that offer programs in management, and there are thousands of books on the art of management. Most of these programs and books cover the essentials of management: leadership, managing human resources, job performance, meetings, how to handle change at the macro and micro level, hiring/firing, etc. however, most of them teach very little, if any values. 

 

By incorporating Native Americans values into your management skills, you will find that you will be a much better manager. You will feel pride in your decision-making; you will not spend time worrying about the consequences of your actions; and, you will find out how much more people respect you and your decisions. In short, it is fun and fulfilling being a courageous and ethical manager.

 

Courageous Leaders:

Almost all managers believe that they are leaders and they have a positive influence over their employees and the tribal members they serve. Manager would like to believe all their employees respect and say nothing but good things about them. However, if you live on a Indian reservation you can probably easily think of the names of one or two managers who do not have the respect of their employees due to their unethical behavior.

 

"Courage is the single most decisive trait in a leader"

 

Why? ...Because as a manager, you are required to make dozens of decisions daily. The majority of these decisions do not take much courage and/or high moral character, but those few that do will determine what kind of leader you are. And it turn what kind of manager you are. Without courage you will not make moral and ethical decisions in most situations. Instead you will make cowardly and unethical decisions. Courage is not something you are born with. Courage like every other value becomes stronger the more you practice it. Once you have learned how to face your fears and overcome them, when you have demonstrated your courage over and over again, it will become your most admirable virtue. It will change how people view you, how they approach you, and it will increase their respect for you. Without courage, you will not be able to develop other critical leadership traits, such as decisiveness, (self-) responsibility, flexibility, and generosity.

 

Traditional Values and Tribal Management

Long before the coming of the white man, Native Americans were excellent managers - they had to be; their lives depended on it. Within the Great Plains tribes (Sioux, Blackfoot, Arikara, Hidatsa, Mandan, Arapaho, Gros Ventre, Omaha, Crow, Ponca, Cheyenne and Assiniboine) different societies existed, each with unique roles. Societies originated from a legend, vision, or dream. Often the most important of these societies were the warrior societies. For the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota (the Sioux), these Societies were often referred to as police or military organizations, but they were much more than that. These warrior societies often kept order in the camps, and often had the responsibility of managing the daily activities of the camp. One did not just go out and join these societies. To be accepted into a society usually meant an individual had exemplary character. He was usually known for his courage, honesty, perseverance/fortitude, generosity, wisdom, and for his loyalty

Also like managers today, the members of warrior societies had many additional responsibilities. These included:

• Playing a unique intermediary role in government by serving as the active, but temporary, dispensers of authority;
• Serving as creative display centers where recognition was given for honors earned by warriors and women's guild workers for tasks well done on behalf of the tribe.
• Punishing offenders against the public welfare;
• Guarding the camp against possible surprise attacks by an enemy, both at camp and while moving;
• Keeping the camp informed at all times as to the movement of the buffalo herd;
• Fostering intersociety rivalry to cultivate bravery and a military spirit among themselves and among boys, who needed a living example of their future responsibilities;
• Taking the most commanding and dangerous places in battle;
• Ministering to the desires of members for social recreation through feast and dances.

Back in the pre-reservation days, Indian people of the northern plains had the best deterrent to bad leaders: They simply stopped following them. Therefore it is important to remember that tribal members have the final say on who is going to be our leaders. If our reservations are going to become better places for our children to live, then we tribal members have to stop supporting unethical leaders, and start supporting leaders who have courage, honesty, perseverance, and generosity to lead justly. If we do not demand these qualities from our leaders, we have no right to complain when our leaders commit cowardly and unethical acts.