--The perpetrators of the hate crime, (pointing a gun, toy or not, and shouting obscenities at a ethnic minority is terrorizing and a hate crime under federal statutes), as described in the article, was also reported in the campus newspaper (Dakota Student), went unpunished, yet six days later three Native Americans participating in a peaceful demonstration promoting human rights were arrested and prosecuted for disorderly conduct. This same group of individuals were fraternity members dressed as cowboys and Indians, with the cowboys chasing the Indians around campus, also terrorized another Native American woman and her grandchild.

--As official policy UND doesn't extend tuition deferment to individuals receiving tribal funding, (last semester I was unable to charge books on account and this semester my registration was canceled as a result of this policy).

--UND claims a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and that taunting such as "Sioux Suck" and "Kill the Sioux" doesn't occur at sports events, yet it does. On February 2, 2001 my step daughter witnessed this ugliness as a member of a contingent of high school girls basketball players and culture club members that participated in a Native exhibition dance during half-time of the UND-NDSU game. She later asked me why they do that. The main argument of opponents of the "Fighting Sioux" name is the logo perpetuates a negative stereotype that dehumanizes all native people. The challenge facing the opponents of the "Fighting Sioux" logo is overcoming and reversing over seventy years of exposure to this misinformation, with education and legislation so that in the future no ethnic group will be subject to this humiliation.

-- Randy Black Cloud, City of Grand Forks-Water treatment operator, part-time student at the University of North Dakota (posted 3/1, 9:30 a.m., U.S. Eastern time)

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