American Indian group to protest St. Cloud State hockey game

A group of American Indians will rally outside the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn., Friday night when the University of North Dakota men's hockey team plays St. Cloud State University.

The newly formed St. Cloud chapter of the American Indian Movement is protesting the University of North Dakota's continued use of the "Fighting Sioux" nickname and mascot.

Frank Burton is a spokesman for the organization explain the group's objections to the mascot.

"People like UND want to tell us this is an honor," says Burton. "Well, first of all, they don't have the right to tell another race or another culture what is an honor. But, beyond that, when we talk about things like historical trauma, it's one of the things that helped compile and create low self-esteem, especially in our youth."

Last year, the NCAA gave UND three years to persuade the Sioux Tribes of North Dakota to approve of the nickname or the school would be forced to change it.

Burton says tribes will never give their support to the school's "Fighting Sioux" nickname and mascot.

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