GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – As a University of North Dakota student in the mid-1970s, Kris Compton “was a fan of all UND sports, especially basketball, football and hockey,” but she doesn't recall a lot of tension over the teams' Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

“It was not at the top of my mind,” she said. “Certainly, in my time at the university, the issue of the name and logo surfaced periodically. But I don't remember it being as divisive then.”

Compton, who grew up in Grand Forks and graduated from UND in 1977 with a degree in social work and business administration, is chief executive officer at Alerus Financial.

She was named May 6 by UND President Robert Kelley to co-chair a “history and traditions” task force looking to honor the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo as they are retired over the next year or so.

“I am very passionate about UND, and I care about UND from many perspectives,” she said in an interview this week. “I'm an (alum), I'm a resident of Grand Forks, and I am very active in UND and the UND Foundation.”

She said she preferred not to discuss her personal feelings about the logo and nickname, now or when she was a student.

“My involvement now is to carry out the mission of the task force, which is honoring the history and traditions associated with the name and logo,” she said. “I'd rather stay focused on what my assignment is.”

Kelley, who was instructed last month by the state Board of Higher Education to begin the transition away from the Fighting Sioux name, announced plans for three groups to help with the transition.

A communications group will “reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends – all our constituencies,” Kelley said, while a “new directions task group” would help guide selection of a new name and logo.

Leaders of that third group have not been appointed, Kelley told members of the University Senate last week, and he made a point of saying it would take up the question of a new identity for UND athletics “when and, I might add, if activated.”

UND athletic teams will continue to be identified by the Fighting Sioux name and logo over the next school year, Kelley said, but he indicated use of an unadorned “North Dakota” and interlocking “ND” would become more common as the transition proceeds.

Compton's co-chair on the history and traditions group is Bruce Smith, dean of UND's aerospace school and a standout football player for UND in the late 1960s.

“We're going to go very slowly and very deliberately,” Smith said Thursday.

“I'm a former athlete, and I know one of the reasons I was picked for this is because it's something I can do very well: honor the athletic traditions associated with the name over the past 80 years,” he said.

Much Fighting Sioux history is scattered about campus and not readily accessible, Smith said. Plaques honoring UND's all-America athletes, for example, are in the men's locker room.

As a former athlete who wore the name and logo, Smith said he expects this assignment to be satisfying, not depressing.

“Our thing is not to retire the name,” he said. “It's been retired. Our task is to make sure the athletes who have worn that uniform over the past 80 years are recognized.

“I was very proud to wear the green and be considered a Fighting Sioux, but times change,” he said. “I still respect it. I still admire it. But it's been retired, and I accept it.”

Compton said she and Smith have met a couple of times “to talk about what we're doing, what our next steps will be.”

One next step will be to add members.

“We intend it to be a very inclusive group of people,” Compton said. “There are many stakeholders: students, alums, faculty, community people and people from the Native American community.”

Smith said he anticipates a group of 12 to 20 people.

Compton said the group's assignment carries three responsibilities: “Review and document the use of the existing name and logo, plan the appropriate retirement, and recommend ways the current name and logo could be used for non-athletic purposes.”

As an example, she said, the university calls its annual recognition of high-achieving graduates and others the Sioux Awards. Also, the university's ROTC program uses Sioux as part of the unit name.

“We'll try to determine if there's an appropriate use going forward for those non-athletic activities,” Compton said.

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Information from: Grand Forks Herald,
http://www.grandforksherald.com