Eunice Davidson, a nickname supporter from Devils Lake and the Spirit Lake tribe, said that she is "not going to rule anything out" following Thursday's board decision.
"We had an overwhelming vote (on the reservation) in favor of keeping" the nickname and logo, she said. "I don't know if we'd be able to get that or not" if a referendum were held on the new conditions. "We'd just have to try. Nothing is impossible if you really go after it.
"The people of Spirit Lake have spoken out. They really want to keep it, and I think people heard that."
She said that she "can't speak for Standing Rock," but "people we've talked with at Standing Rock say that if they can get a vote, they're pretty sure it would pass. One of the guys said by 75 percent."
Davidson said that Standing Rock Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder, who has opposed holding a referendum on the nickname issue, is "irresponsible . . . for not letting the people have democracy on their reservation."
ADVERTISEMENT
She can "certainly understand people who want this to be over," she said. "But this is the first time the tribes have ever gone so far with this, and I think they should let that whole process play out -- the original timeline, or as close to it as they can get."
His Horse Is Thunder was not immediately available for comment.
