Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with ‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-shirts
Source: Raw Story
Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with ‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-shirts
By David Edwards
Monday, May 12, 2014 15:38 EDT
A group of students at the University of North Dakota are being criticized after they created and wore T-shirts that seemed to make light of alcoholism in the Native American community.
The website Last Real Indians pointed out the controversy after photos of students in the T-shirt began to spread on social media. The shirts depict a stereotypical “Indian chief head” drinking from a beer bong. Above the head are the words, “Siouxper Drunk.”
KVLY reported that students came into UND’s Indian Student Services on Monday to express outrage over the shirts. Students were also lashing out at CustomInk.com, which apparently printed the shirts.
In 2012, UND students had voted overwhelmingly to drop the “Fighting Sioux” mascot, leaving the university without a logo until 2015.
Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/12/univ-of-north-dakota-students-mock-native-americans-with-siouxper-drunk-t-shirts/
‘Siouxper Drunk’ Shirts Worn at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest, By Ruth Hopkins
On Saturday, May 10, 2014, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota man posted this picture to my Facebook wall:
The photo was taken at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest earlier that same day. In it, non-Native UND students are wearing shirts that say ‘Siouxper Drunk.’ Beneath it, a stereotypical ‘Indian head’ reminiscent of the retired Fighting Sioux logo is pictured drinking from a beer bong. What followed the post were a string of comments from understandably infuriated Natives, many of whom were from the Spirit Lake Nation, the Dakota Tribe located closest to the UND campus.
Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people comprise the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires), also known as The Great Sioux Nation. Oceti Sakowin were called ‘Sioux’ by their enemies.
The UND Fighting Sioux logo was retired after the NCAA concluded that the race-based mascot was hostile and abusive toward Native Americans. This decision was based on numerous complaints, affidavits, and an abundance of evidence collected over the years that proved the mascot was not only offensive, but detrimental and contrary to NCAA policy.
Native mascots personify the widespread systemic racism against Native people that still prevails in the subconscious of western society. The Fighting Sioux-esque ‘Siouxper Drunk’ tees worn at UND’s Springfest by UND students are proof positive that Native mascots are harmful and degrading to Native people, and that retiring all race-based mascots is not only appropriate, but necessary.
More:
http://lastrealindians.com/siouxper-drunk-shirts-worn-at-the-university-of-north-dakotas-springfest-by-ruth-hopkins/
= new reply since forum marked as read
there is quite a problem, well known in the region, of racism against Native Americans, particularly in SD and ND. It's pretty bad. At basketball games when Native American players are on the court they are called things like, "prairie ni...r" and more. They are ostracized in towns, their children are still being taken from them by the state child services agencies who place the children with white families when there is a federal law stating that they are to be placed with Native American families when they are removed from the home... it goes on and on. The reservations in ND and SD are some of the most impoverished in the nation. Aside from the Bakken oil boom tearing up their land and poisoning their water, radioactive waste is being dumped on the the reservations by the ton, their women and girls are raped by off reservation intruders who know they can't be prosecuted because it happens on the reservation. Many are still trying to recover from the fires and floods that happened several years ago. Liquor is readily available while food and jobs are in devastatingly short supply... by design.
Out of sight, out of mind is the reason this happens, they were put on reservations in the hope that they would kill each other off and be gone by now... and there is little to absolutely no respect.
And we call ourselves civilized when this has been going on on this country for centuries.
Sorry but this kind of crap really gets me upset.
all those asswipes are holding drinks! Bet it's not gingerale unless it's watered down with alcohol.
******** 
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in this 'post racial' society. 
geez
Of course, I guess we can give them *some* benefit of the doubt; they may not be actually racists themselves. But even if not, it really doesn't take any from the fact that this was still rather insensitive; particularly since alcoholism is still a significant problem in many a Native American society. 
Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)
Response to TygrBright (Reply #29)
What's wrong with some people? 
If they made their Team Food a hot steaming bowl of buttered mashed potatoes, and adjusted their logo, they could keep the name with no problem!
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