UND's nickname-logo transition committee report: Retire symbols

• Laura Block

Laura Block, the UND Alumni Association represenative on the committee to advise President Kelley on the transition away from the Sioux nickname and logo, explains why she recused herself from voting to approve the commitee's report Tuesday evening. Herald photo by John Stennes.

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A UND committee working on the university’s transition from the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo approved a final report Tuesday, recommending a broad retirement of the symbols as they’re used by nonathletic organizations and activities directly connected to the school.

The vote was unanimous except for the representative of the UND Alumni Association, who refrained from voting.

Laura Block, chief financial officer for the association, said it would be impossible “to cast a vote that can accurately represent the diverse views” of 112,000 alumni.

The Honoring History and Traditions Task Group’s recommendations go to UND President Robert Kelley, who plans to review them with members of his “transition cabinet” Jan. 19.

A committee member asked at the outset of the meeting Tuesday whether activity this week at the North Dakota Legislature, where bills have been introduced aiming to preserve the Fighting Sioux name and logo through statute, would have any effect on the committee’s work.

“We have been asked by the president to continue forward,” said Kris Compton, chief operating officer of Alerus Financial and co-chair of the committee.

Another question concerned how the university is monitoring the retailing of logo-bearing merchandise until Aug. 15, when the transition is to be complete. A committee member had reported last month seeing someone wearing clothing with the logo and “Sioux Forever” and asked whether such a design had been approved.

Robert Boyd, a UND administrator appointed by Kelley as transition officer, said the university would check into such reports. But both he and the questioner underscored that officials will not approach people wearing unapproved garments and ask that they be removed.

“That will never happen,” Boyd said.

Recommendations in the report include ending such uses as names and logos on UND clothing and other merchandise, graduation diplomas, UND TV and radio marketing, UND publications, the Fighting Sioux ROTC battalion, Sioux Laundry, the Soaring Sioux hot air balloon club and the Sioux Strong breast cancer organization.

A majority of committee members favored ending certain other uses of the Sioux name and logo, including the Sioux Award, the highest honor given by the Alumni Association, but those results will be passed to Kelley as information, not recommendations.

Tim O’Keefe, executive director of the Alumni Association and a member of the history and traditions panel, had said earlier that a decision whether to retain the name Sioux Award would be made by the governance committee of the association’s board.

Next: REA and NCAA expectations

The history and traditions group has additional assignments from Kelley, including making recommendations on how to meet “expectations” listed in the NCAA settlement agreement with regard to the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Members expect to begin tackling that potentially thorny stage of the transition when they meet on Feb. 1.

The group also is to recommend ways to document the 80-year history of the nickname and the various logos that have accompanied it.

“The task group is asked to become well acquainted with this history, both the parts that are celebrative and those that have been controversial and highly criticized,” according to a document posted on the university’s website. “The task group is then asked to make recommendations on how this ‘story’ may be appropriately and respectfully documented” through publications, events and historical displays.

Finally, the group is to recommend “an appropriate way to bring closure to the retirement of the current athletic nickname and logo.”

Kelley also has established a Communications Task Group to reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others about the transition.

A third group may be formed to “help us think through the process of selecting a new name and logo for the university,” Kelley said when he outlined the transition plans in May.

Reach Haga at (701) 780-1102; (800) 477-6572, ext. 102; or send e-mail to chaga@gfherald.com.

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