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TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2002

"For people following the controversy over the use of the "Fighting Sioux" nickname for university sports teams, the recent poll commissioned and reported by Sports Illustrated was something of a shocker.

Contrary to popular perceptions, a majority of American Indians across the country do not object to the use of tribal names as nicknames for athletic teams.

Because the findings were contrary to the views of those who have been trying to drum up support to get rid of the Fighting Sioux, the first reaction by many activists was to discredit the findings. They claimed that the poll results were flawed and failed to capture the real thinking of Indians.

While polling is not an exact science, it is difficult to believe that a national polling organization with excellent credentials would risk its reputation by producing faulty poll results. Then, too, the magazine editors would not want to be caught publishing statistical information that is not creditable.

Because the pollsters and the publishers have reputations to protect, the claim that the figures fail to approximate the views of Indians is less creditable than the poll. . ."

Get the Story:
Lloyd Omdahl: UND nickname activists can't claim majority support (The Grand Forks Herald 3/26)

Relevant Links:
The University of North Dakota - http://www.und.edu

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