from Robert Eurich..thanks!



UND: Bellecourt criticizes nickname
Outspoken activist: Only a matter of time before mascots are bygone
By David Dodds
Herald Staff Writer
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/4606380.htm
Posted on Tue, Nov. 26, 2002


Wearing his signature black hat and red vest, Vernon Bellecourt came to
Grand Forks on Monday, spreading his message that schools such as UND soon
will stop using American Indian sports nicknames.

The outspoken American Indian activist said thousands of high schools across
the nation have dropped ethnically-driven and other controversial monikers
and he sees that as a sign the nation is becoming "enlightened" and that the
trend will soon make its way to the college and professional sports level.

Bellecourt is president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and
Media.

The group's main targets have been UND and its Fighting Sioux nickname, the
Florida State University Seminoles, University of Utah Utes, University of
Illinois Fighting Illini, and professional teams the Washington Redskins,
Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Indians.

Though he did evoke the name of Adolf Hitler when alluding to UND benefactor
and nickname champion Ralph Engelstad, Bellecourt kept his tone mostly
positive and talked about continued dialogue to bring about change.

"We are a very patient people. Maybe it will take two years for a
'find-a-new-name' contest to get started here, or to chisel all those logos
off of Engelstad Arena," Bellecourt said. "We feel very strong that there
will be a breakthrough."

Logos hurt

Bellecourt criticized the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education for
its decision two years ago that UND must keep its controversial logo and
symbol. He said the board should have provided better leadership.

"North Dakota is looked at across the country as still living in the dark
ages as far as enlightenment," Bellecourt said.

Bellecourt said the people who are hurt most are the American Indian
students on university campuses that use the nicknames.

He put the blame squarely on Indian logos and mascots and the effects they
have on self-esteem when he said that 85 percent of American Indians don't
graduate from high school, and of those who move on to college, 85 percent
don't finish.

Bellecourt was invited to UND by BRIDGES (Building Roads Into Diverse Groups
Empowering Students), a student and alumni organization that opposes the use
of the school's Fighting Sioux nickname.

Bellecourt was the main speaker at a forum held Monday night at UND in which
ideas were exchanged between proponents of a name change and the public.

"I will be working with students in turning the heat up to high on the front
burner of consciousness in this state," Bellecourt said.

Poll 'faulty'

Bellecourt, a founding member and principal spokesman for the American
Indian Movement, called a recent survey done by the Peter Harris Research
Group and documented in Sports Illustrated magazine totally faulty and
challenged its scientific merit.

Bellecourt challenged the sampling and the questions used in the poll, which
found that 75 percent of American Indians don't care about the logo and
mascot issue.

He argued that a better indication of Indian feelings could be found in a
recent survey done by a Cherokee Indian group of 14,000 of its members. That
poll, he said, found that 85 percent of respondents thought it was time to
eliminate the use of Indian nicknames.

Bellecourt said that he and other proponents of change also are working with
other minority groups in the country, such as the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People, to build a network of support in the
fight against racial imagery.

And UND could be ground zero in that effort.

"We're trying to build a national consensus to persuade North Dakota that
the time is long past that it deal with this issue," Bellecourt said. "It's
time to sit down with groups like BRIDGES and other native peoples on campus
and seek ways that immediate change can happen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American Indian Sports Team Mascots
http://earnestman.tripod.com/1indexpage.htm

"Little drops of rain wear away the greatest of stones."
-=<+>=-
End Racial bigotry NOW!
http://ishgooda.org/racial/
-=<+>=-
"Indian" Mascot and Logo Taskforce
http://pages.prodigy.net/munson/
-=<+>=-
SEOklahoma University
http://www.sosu.edu/slife/savages/
-=<+>=-
Monroe Gilmour, Coordinator
http://www.main.nc.us/wncceib/
-=<+>=-
UND BRIDGES
http://www.und.edu/org/span/bridges/main.html