Flipper tails, Fighting Sioux, and Fighting Hawks. What all do they have in common? They are all logos for the University of North Dakota. I honestly have no idea what a flipper tail is, and I don’t really care to look it up, but according to my dad it’s like a lesser version of a gopher or something. I don’t really care at this point since it was before my time as a student. I do know what a person of Sioux heritage is, I mean, I live in South Dakota which is home to 9 Sioux tribes. Living in the Dakotas has given me a perspective of the Fighting Sioux logo that has shaped my life. Ever since I was nine, I had always imagined that I would be an alumni of the University and that was NEVER going to change and I never thought the logo was going to, as well. But lo and behold nearly ten years later, the logo has changed. And changed to a Fighting Hawk. Like what the heck is that?! At first, I thought it was a stupid mascot, but that soon changed after I realized it was too late for anyone to change it. Then came along the actual logo. Oh my golly gracious, all hell had been released. The moment that I had seen the logo posted online last Wednesday, I was truly hoping that Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out of the closet and tell me that we were on the most EPIC comeback episode of all time. Sadly, I never saw Ashton Kutcher jump out of a closet or whatever to tell me the hopeless news and at that moment “I’ve lost all hope of a happy ending” (Childish Gambino, 3005- yes that was a reference to a song and if you don’t know it, look it up)

Getting back to my main point of this article, I would like to discuss my first point: the term Sioux. From my knowledge of living in the Dakotas, Sioux was a name given by the French settlers. Which in translation means “Little Snakes.” Yes, if you know anything about living in the US and the Midwest to be specific, you ought to know that the white men had taken the Great Plains away from the Sioux tribes through various extreme blood baths. But let’s be real for a minute, it’s been decades and decades ago since all of these events had transpired. And it’s 2016, and quite frankly times have changed. In today’s world, words may have multiple meanings and it matters how you use the words in context. At the University, the words “Fighting Sioux” aren’t used in a derogative manner. It’s actually using it in a blunt, honest, and factual way. It is a FACT that Sioux tribes did fight for the land! So instead of looking at the term in a “derogative” viewpoint, look at it in a literal form. If the history teacher I had my junior year of high school was wrong, then obviously he should have been fired like four years ago or whatever, and the history book publishers should have gone bankrupt or something like that. So wrapping this all up on the term “Fighting Sioux,” it’s not used as an offensive representation.

Have you ever seen a Native American wearing a Fighting Sioux jersey? I have. With my own bare eyes. Have I ever respectfully had a conversation about the sweatshirt I wore in my history class that had Native Americans in it? Yes, I have and all of the responses were grateful. I’ve had multiple conversations with classmates about the Fighting Sioux logo who are of a Sioux tribe and all of them have been prideful and positive responses. On multiple occasions I’ve heard responses of, 'that’s super cool that my ancestry is being represented by a school,' or 'Whoa, I didn’t even know that Sioux tribes were being represented by a major university. I was jealous that the Seminoles were represented but not us.' All of which I had known for 100% were of a Sioux tribe. Some of the students I had talked to, I hadn’t ever met until I had that conversation with them.

You know the Fighting Irish? Or Seminoles? I’m sure you do. I mean you probably wouldn’t know the mascots, if the teams weren’t good at football. That’s pretty much the same thing for the Fighting Sioux, but for hockey. As a matter of fact, UND had just won the National Championship this year, and many of the hockey players on social media platforms said something relating to showing pride in the Fighting Sioux logo after winning the title. But yet, many wonder, when are we having to change our mascot? “Like for real this time, if we have to why don’t they?!”- I’m pretty sure this is a common thought for many of my classmates at UND. Or at least for me anyways. Essentially it’s pointing out the same thing: one’s nationality. Being of Irish descent is the same as being of Sioux descent. So what the heck? This isn’t fair. The NCAA may wanna revisit the team names of all the teams. I mean, I’m just saying what other people may be thinking.

Yeah, I could go on and on about this all day, but I’m not really 100% sold on this new mascot and logo deal, but within time I guess it’ll maybe catch on. I hope I don’t see the day that it does, and I’m sincerely hoping that I get a call from Ashton Kutcher saying that it’s all just a new epic comeback episode.

P.S

I don’t only have a deep connection with this logo due to where I’ve lived and the people I’ve met that are from the Sioux tribes, but also, in my dad’s family virtually everyone has the same passion for it as I do. It’s something that we all bond over and it happens that I’m a student who’s following in the footstep and who's voicing her opinion.