The DS View: Dartmouth apology

Sometimes, well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences. Such was the case with Josie Harper, Dartmouth's athletic director.

In a letter to the editor printed in the school's newspaper, The Dartmouth, on Nov. 21, 2006, Harper apologized to Dartmouth's Native American community for "an event that will understandably offend and hurt people within our community." This event was UND's - more notably, the "Fighting Sioux's" - upcoming participation in Dartmouth's holiday hockey tournament.

With UND's pending lawsuit against the NCAA in the mix, Harper's letter received more attention than she ever could have expected. CNN, ESPN and the Grand Forks-area media all picked up the story.

North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven, a 1979 Dartmouth graduate, even felt the need to weigh in on the matter.

"She takes her position with really no knowledge of UND and no understanding of how they've approached the issue," Hoeven said in a Wednesday story in the Grand Forks Herald.

Hoeven's claims that Harper was out of place are misguided; Dartmouth knows exactly what UND is going through. The school dropped its "Indians" nickname in the early 1970s, a move that is still opposed by some on campus. By most accounts, however, the move was a good one for the university, a sign that a switch for UND could be successful.

Harper said the letter was aimed at the Dartmouth campus, and was inspired in part by several race-related incidents on campus this fall, including a rudely interrupted American Indian drum circle. The letter obviously traveled well beyond its boundaries, however, and has caused an uproar on a national level.

Some echo Hoeven's sentiments - they agree that Harper really does not understand the issue. Others, however, pit themselves behind Harper, saying that given the other incidents on their campus this fall, her response to bringing the "Fighting Sioux" to their campus was necessary.

Dartmouth President James Wright and Harper have had to defend the comments repeatedly, but have said they will look at instituting a policy on the school's athletic teams competing against teams with offensive nicknames. Other schools have enacted or are considering similar policies as well.

The Dartmouth furor has proven one thing: There is no denying that the Sioux logo has garnered negative national attention. It was the top story on ESPN.com and was featured in the Boston Globe. Judging by letters to the editor on the Web site for Dartmouth's daily school newspaper, The Dartmouth, our logo has caused division on another campus.

The Dartmouth controversy shows that the "Fighting Sioux" debate is about more than just UND; it's about discrimination in general. Continuing our losing battle to preserve an outdated name is only making UND look bad, not like the top-tier institution our administrators claim we are becoming.