North Dakota Fighting Sioux controversy

The North Dakota Fighting Sioux controversy refers to the controversy surrounding the now retired nickname and logo of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the athletic teams that represented the University of North Dakota (UND) based in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo was added to a list of "hostile and abusive" representations of Native Americans by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2005, although some controversy predates that action. Critics of the name called it a racist stereotype, while supporters maintained that it was inoffensive and a source of pride. Over the years, the debate proved to be a divisive issue. The movement to keep the nickname and logo was led by Native Americans of Siouan descent from both the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux Nations^{[citation needed]}, UND alumni, sports fans, and athletic players and officials, as well as the university administration for a time. The campaign to change the nickname and logo was led by Native Americans and student organizations, as well as many UND faculty members.^[1] In 2008, the NCAA and UND agreed to retire the university's Fighting Sioux name unless UND received approval from both the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes by the end of 2010. The Spirit Lake tribe approved retaining the name, but the Standing Rock tribe did not.^[2] A new nickname, the "Fighting Hawks", was selected in 2015.