A transition in transition

• Statue outside Ralph Engelstad Arena

Statue outside Ralph Engelstad Arena

Talk about it

UND’s transition away from the Fighting Sioux nickname, a process that has been suspended due to the Legislature’s adoption of a law ordering UND to keep the name, has cost just under $30,000 in expenses so far.

According to an account of Transition Team expenses obtained from UND on Friday, more than a third of the charges — $11,000 — were payments to a consultant in October and November 2009.

The figures do not include salaries paid to Robert Boyd, a former UND vice president who was appointed Transition Officer, and an assistant.

Most of the rest of the $29,437.74 in expenses represents charges for equipment, materials, travel, room rentals and meals for members of President Robert Kelley’s “transition cabinet” and members of the Honoring History and Traditions Task Group.

Planning for what might be required in a transition from the popular but controversial nickname and Indian-head logo began after the State Board of Higher Education initially voted in 2009 to begin the transition.

That directive was suspended while efforts continued through 2009 and early 2010 to win authorization from the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Sioux tribes for UND to keep using the name.

Despite a lawsuit initiated by members of the Spirit Lake tribe, where authorization was granted through a referendum and tribal council vote, the board decided in April 2010 that it had exhausted efforts to win approval from Standing Rock and ordered Kelley to proceed with the transition.

Kelley established a transition team, including a “cabinet” of advisers and two task groups, one to investigate ways of honoring and preserving the history of the symbols and one to make sure the transition process was open.

The history task group has been working to identify documents, artifacts and other materials, such as uniforms bearing various forms of the logo used over the years, and how to preserve and display that history.

The group includes students, faculty members and others, some who are opposed to continued use of the Fighting Sioux name and some who have favored keeping it. They also have recommended that if the nickname is dropped for athletic teams, it also should be eliminated from various non-athletic uses.

A third task group, to plan adoption of a new nickname and logo, was outlined at the same time as the others but has not been established.

Under terms of the 2007 lawsuit settlement agreement between the NCAA and UND, the transition away from the Sioux name and American Indian imagery is to be completed by Aug. 15.

The law adopted by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple is to take effect Aug. 1, but there is talk of a constitutional challenge or new negotiations with the NCAA.

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

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