Tribe won't schedule election on UND nickname

The Standing Rock Sioux tribal council has declined to schedule a special election to see whether tribal members approve of the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname.

North Dakota's Board of Higher Education needs the tribe's endorsement by Nov. 30 to avoid NCAA penalties for using the name.

Nickname supporters turned in a petition with more than 1,000 signatures asking for a Standing Rock reservation vote. But on Tuesday the tribal council put off the issue until the Board of Higher Education takes action on its own.

Board members have supported changing the nickname. But Spirit Lake Sioux tribal members filed their own lawsuit, saying the board can't decide on a nickname change until Nov. 30. The case is on appeal to the state Supreme Court.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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