Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

SPOKANE, Wash., - There were no Sioux on the University of North Dakota's (UND) varsity athletic teams, but the mascot chosen was and is the Fighting Sioux. When the Native American student club named it's intramural basketball team at UND the Fighting Norwegians, some non-native students were angered, recalled Tony Lodge, a student at the time.

Lodge, a Native American Indian and the director of 'Native Project', an outpatient youth drug program, said she has always been against using Indians as mascots but gave credit to the school for at least listening to opinions concerning the issue.

The 'Native Project' presented the school with an Eagle Feather Staff ten years ago as a symbol of the accomplishments made by the Northern Plains Indians marking.

A recently released study, by the U.S. Justice Department, states that seven of ten; violent episodes, against American Indians, are made by non-Indians.

Many believe the use of Indian mascots is dehumanizing and Lodge also said she believes there is a direct correlation between the use of Indian mascots and the violence. It is ironic, since a mascot is supposed to bring good luck, Lodge added.