Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with ‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-shirts
Source: Raw Story
Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with Siouxper Drunk T-shirts
By David Edwards
Monday, May 12, 2014 15:38 EDT
A group of students at the University of North Dakota are being criticized after they created and wore T-shirts that seemed to make light of alcoholism in the Native American community.
The website Last Real Indians pointed out the controversy after photos of students in the T-shirt began to spread on social media. The shirts depict a stereotypical Indian chief head drinking from a beer bong. Above the head are the words, Siouxper Drunk.
KVLY reported that students came into UNDs Indian Student Services on Monday to express outrage over the shirts. Students were also lashing out at CustomInk.com, which apparently printed the shirts.
In 2012, UND students had voted overwhelmingly to drop the Fighting Sioux mascot, leaving the university without a logo until 2015.
Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/12/univ-of-north-dakota-students-mock-native-americans-with-siouxper-drunk-t-shirts/
Siouxper Drunk Shirts Worn at the University of North Dakotas Springfest, By Ruth Hopkins
On Saturday, May 10, 2014, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota man posted this picture to my Facebook wall:
The photo was taken at the University of North Dakotas Springfest earlier that same day. In it, non-Native UND students are wearing shirts that say Siouxper Drunk. Beneath it, a stereotypical Indian head reminiscent of the retired Fighting Sioux logo is pictured drinking from a beer bong. What followed the post were a string of comments from understandably infuriated Natives, many of whom were from the Spirit Lake Nation, the Dakota Tribe located closest to the UND campus.
Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people comprise the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires), also known as The Great Sioux Nation. Oceti Sakowin were called Sioux by their enemies.
The UND Fighting Sioux logo was retired after the NCAA concluded that the race-based mascot was hostile and abusive toward Native Americans. This decision was based on numerous complaints, affidavits, and an abundance of evidence collected over the years that proved the mascot was not only offensive, but detrimental and contrary to NCAA policy.
Native mascots personify the widespread systemic racism against Native people that still prevails in the subconscious of western society. The Fighting Sioux-esque Siouxper Drunk tees worn at UNDs Springfest by UND students are proof positive that Native mascots are harmful and degrading to Native people, and that retiring all race-based mascots is not only appropriate, but necessary.
More:
http://lastrealindians.com/siouxper-drunk-shirts-worn-at-the-university-of-north-dakotas-springfest-by-ruth-hopkins/
jwirr
(39,215 posts)problems - they are our problem.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,829 posts)I don't remember ever doing anything that stupid, or that offensive. WTF were they thinking? Makes you wonder why somebody didn't say, "Hey, guys, maybe this isn't such a great idea..." Were they being intentionally racist or were they just clueless? Doesn't really matter - and I hope UND doesn't just slap them on the wrist.
OK, I just went and read the second article - seems like at least some of these twerps were being intentionally racist. There's no excuse for that - claiming you were just young and drunk won't cut it. UND ought to suspend or expel those morons.
murielm99
(30,755 posts)It was during the height of the civil rights movement. I never did anything racist either.
I do remember some other students, mostly frat guys, who did and said some very racist things. I am not saying all frat guys were like that. Many of them were ashamed of what their peers were doing. But I wonder how many of those young guys are now sorry that they behaved like assholes. I would bet at least a few of them are.
I hope this group comes to realize that they are being stupid and offensive, and they come to regret it.
caraher
(6,279 posts)I don't think any of these dimwits for one second had any intention of mocking Native Americans. All they were doing, in their own minds, was making a pun using the name of their former mascot (which I'm sure they'd also tell you was, if anything, an tribute to Native Americans). I think they'd mostly be sincere about all this, and equally sincere in denying any racist motivations behind any of this.
Yet somehow they managed to do something stupendously offensive, in the name of celebrating their own drunkenness. Their privilege lies in being able to take the Sioux name as representing nothing more than a beloved, recently-lost mascot, with nary a second thought. Certainly with no thought that there were actual human beings out there who might find appropriation of their heritage to celebrate college debauchery unacceptable.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)What the fuck is wrong with America...it's diseased.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)but rather as an example of what is wrong with certain isolated groups of Americans with no idea how the other half lives!
Cha
(297,530 posts)2naSalit
(86,765 posts)there is quite a problem, well known in the region, of racism against Native Americans, particularly in SD and ND. It's pretty bad. At basketball games when Native American players are on the court they are called things like, "prairie ni...r" and more. They are ostracized in towns, their children are still being taken from them by the state child services agencies who place the children with white families when there is a federal law stating that they are to be placed with Native American families when they are removed from the home... it goes on and on. The reservations in ND and SD are some of the most impoverished in the nation. Aside from the Bakken oil boom tearing up their land and poisoning their water, radioactive waste is being dumped on the the reservations by the ton, their women and girls are raped by off reservation intruders who know they can't be prosecuted because it happens on the reservation. Many are still trying to recover from the fires and floods that happened several years ago. Liquor is readily available while food and jobs are in devastatingly short supply... by design.
Out of sight, out of mind is the reason this happens, they were put on reservations in the hope that they would kill each other off and be gone by now... and there is little to absolutely no respect.
And we call ourselves civilized when this has been going on on this country for centuries.
Sorry but this kind of crap really gets me upset.
caraher
(6,279 posts)2naSalit
(86,765 posts)all those asswipes are holding drinks! Bet it's not gingerale unless it's watered down with alcohol.
murielm99
(30,755 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Wish the reservations could become separate real Nations, separate Countries.
Instead reservations are surrounded with little stores that are the very same as the original 'trading posts' that sold cheap garbage & plenty of drink to the Indians. Very much like many of Americas poverty areas are exploited today.
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)caraher
(6,279 posts)They held onto the name as long as they did in part "thanks" to one very wealthy donor who insisted on it.
"Tradition is the gentle fabric woven through time and experience which generates meaning, character, and identity to one and all. The Fighting Sioux logo, the Fighting Sioux uniforms, the aura of the Fighting Sioux tradition and the spirit of being a Fighting Sioux are of lasting value and immeasurable significance to our past, presence, and future." Ralph Engelstad[3]
Engelstad embroiled himself in the fight over the Fighting Sioux logo when he built a $104 million arena on the University of North Dakota campus for the Fighting Sioux hockey program. Midway in its construction, Engelstad threatened to withdraw funding if the long standing nickname were to be changed.[4] The logo was placed in thousands of instances in the arena, making the prospect of removal a costly measure. Later, Engelstad placed the stadium under private (rather than University) management and stipulated that the Fighting Sioux motif be kept indefinitely. An Engelstad family trust continues to own the arena and rents it to the University.[5]
The North Dakota Board of Higher Education ruled on April 8, 2010, to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname in response to pressure from the NCAA.[6] On February 8, 2012 the "repeal of the repeal" took place. After 17,213 North Dakota residents signed a petition bringing the debate over the nickname to a statewide vote, UND resumed use of the nickname.[7] On June 14, 2012, the nickname was repealed again[8] after a vote held on June 11, 2012 on whether to keep or retire the nickname resulted in 67.35% of North Dakota voters chose to retire the "Fighting Sioux" name and American Indian head logo as a result of negative consequences resulting from impending NCAA sanctions.[9][10]
Apparently he also got in hot water over celebrating Hitler's birthday in his casino...
hack89
(39,171 posts)According to US news and world report. My daughter considered going there - I was very impressed by the school.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public/spp%2B50/page+2
Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)
steve2470 This message was self-deleted by its author.
MADem
(135,425 posts)a bygone-era, illiterate Mexican peasant and getting blind drunk on 5 May...and then getting irritated when people of Mexican heritage object!
Time to bring out the "Fighting Whities" shirts, perhaps?
tblue37
(65,483 posts)olddad56
(5,732 posts)yuiyoshida
(41,836 posts)Just makes me shake my head. I have a great friend who is full Lakota. Nicest guy you would ever want to meet. I don't understand race hatred, but have certainly come across it myself on line. It hurts badly when you know someone can hate you cause you look different. So, there it is...the photos of ignorant people.
Nativechef
(27 posts)As a UND Alum this is shameful and tasteless. We did party hard, but we were never disrespectful of our schools history. This makes me ashamed to call myself a UND Alum. I'll be passing this on. Time for us "OLD" folks to let the young ones know that this is not appropriate and brings shame to us all.....
AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)Nativechef
(27 posts)I've been here for awhile I just don't post unless I feel a need to, but thank you none the less.........
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)******** *******
heaven05
(18,124 posts)in this 'post racial' society. geez
AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)Of course, I guess we can give them *some* benefit of the doubt; they may not be actually racists themselves. But even if not, it really doesn't take any from the fact that this was still rather insensitive; particularly since alcoholism is still a significant problem in many a Native American society.
Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
TygrBright
(20,763 posts)Response to TygrBright (Reply #29)
Name removed Message auto-removed
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)How does the implication and trivialization of alcoholism illustrate nostalgia for the old mascot?
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)What's wrong with some people?
Louisiana1976
(3,962 posts)callous taoboy
(4,585 posts)This population of American society, those seemingly without any critical thinking skills, is really disturbing to me.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)continue to get away with a racial slur for the name of their team. That one is on all of us who watch NFL football and on every pro football player who plays for or against that team. That team deserves boycott at every level.
balthazar2
(37 posts)A bunch of guys dressed up in helmets and shoulder pads calling themselves "bears." They deserve a good bite!
MADem
(135,425 posts)If they made their Team Food a hot steaming bowl of buttered mashed potatoes, and adjusted their logo, they could keep the name with no problem!
?w=620
That and this both are despicable.