Dakota Beacon

The Fighting Sioux nickname issue has been trivialized by some as a silly argument about a college sports name.  They have said that if even a few were troubled by the name it should be retired.  Imagine if that test were applied to other public policy issues.  Others have said there is a broader issue here, it’s not just about sports, it’s about whether a small, but loud and persistent minority can have their way with a quiet majority.  One of the purposes of elections is to get beyond obstreperous noise and determine the people’s will.

The nickname issue has turned into a colossal mess -- hardly anyone is covered in glory, but one group distinguished itself.  Before it all ends, if it ends, that group deserves to be recognized.  The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe stood up and were counted.  They held a referendum on the nickname and, when a majority of their members voted for the name, the tribal council forthrightly got behind the decision.  While others ducked, the tribe courageously tried to help settle the issue.  Somehow, sometime, I hope they are acknowledged, not for the outcome of their vote, but for their willingness to take responsibility.

Other voices have entered the nickname debate, a few for their own purposes.  Winona LaDuke, a civil rights activist and two-time Green Party vice presidential candidate, said she “would like to feel sorry for . . . UND mascot (her words) supporters, but I can’t muster up that sympathy.”  Her view: the angst of the Fighting Sioux supporters was inconsequential compared to the historical suffering of native Americans.  Columnist Lloyd Omdahl was much more benign -- he once considered the logo oppressive, but completely reversed that view when Spirit Lake tribal members indicated otherwise.  However, he feels the costs and uncertainties of continuing to defend the logo will be too great.

People write the darndest things.  Josephine “Jo” Wheeler (90) of Bismarck led a long and varied life.  She graduated from NDSU in 1940 with a degree in home economics, a hint of many accomplishments to come.  That is why a statement in her obituary is so odd: “One of her most ‘notable accomplishments’ was winning a gold medal in the Senior Olympics downhill skiing competition (emphasis added), where she was the only participant.”

As mentioned before, we are losing many members of the Greatest Generation, men and women who served their country during WWII.  Olaf Berge (95) was one.  Berge was born and grew up in the Valley City area -- he was all-state in basketball and is in the Jamestown College Athletic Hall of Fame.  He was trained as a bombardier and navigator and was highly decorated for 79 combat missions including bomber support of D-Day in 1941.  After the war he returned to farm and teach near Valley City.  It’s astonishing how men of such epic adventures modestly returned to their homes and fit into everyday life.

Many members of the Greatest Generation in ND did not serve in the military, but migrated to the West Coast defense industry.  The obituary of Herbert Scherbinske (90) says, “After World War II began, Herb and Catherine went to Portland OR along with many friends and relatives, to build ships in the Kaiser Company shipyard.  Herb and Catherine were married at the conclusion of the war and were said to be kindred spirits and perfect mates for 62 years, “Like two peas in a pod.”  Herb rose to superintendent of the Knife River Coal Mining Co. in Beulah.

This is a difficult time for daily newspapers -- many hang in a fine balance.  For the smaller papers, this means double duty for the staff and management.  Mike Jacobs is Editor and Publisher of the GF Herald.  On a recent Sunday, Jacobs wrote in three capacities:  As editor, he discussed the challenges of ND’s oil boom.  His biggest concern seemed to be that ND will be  timid with its oil revenues -- it will save too much (and benefit outsiders), and invest too little (and not benefit its citizens).  He slipped into another role to review a biography, “Mr. Wheat,” about Milton Young, ND’s U.S. Senator from 1945 to 1981.  A “vague figure in the state’s history . . . little understood and little appreciated.”  Finally, Jacobs fell into what is probably his favorite role -- bird columnist.  He wrote about song sparrows in an introduction to the sparrow world.

ND needs to be aggressive in dealing with the agendas of environmental groups -- that’s the gist of a Bismarck Tribune editorial.  The state has been flaring a lot of natural gas -- the Tribune acknowledges that is bad practice for two reasons: climate change and waste of energy.  In 2008, ND flared 30 percent of its natural gas, last year, it was down to 10 percent, and further reductions are being made.  Because of flaring, the Bureau of Land Management has just pulled 91,000 acres in Montana, SD and ND from an expected oil-lease auction because of pressure from environmental groups.  This will cause a loss of revenue for the state and prolong the nation’s dependence on imported oil.  The Tribune believes the state should be more proactive in finding solutions to head off this type of federal regulatory intervention.

Edward Lotterman is a St. Paul economist who writes a weekly column for the Bismarck Tribune.  In a recent column, he discussed the ups and downs of farming.  How ND wheat farmers saw astonishing prices in 2008, but are seeing disastrously low prices this year brought on by a world glut. Despite these harrowing fluctuations in income, Lotterman says most full-time commercial farmers have annual incomes and net worths well above other households.  He mentions the adage “farmers live poor but die rich.”

Nodaks are farmers and ranchers, coal miners and oil workers.  For that reason, the Bismarck Tribune says ND residents have a different relation to the environment than Americans who mostly live in cities and see rural America as a huge preservation park.  The remarks were in the context of Earth Day.  The Tribune said Nodaks are equally concerned about the environment, but their concerns are directed at realistic, workable solutions for caring for the Earth. 

Lest we forget: Devils Lake has risen about 27 feet and tripled in size since 1993 because of a series of wet years -- the price tag is near $1 billion and growing.  The Devils Lake Basin Joint Water Resource Board is considering preparing a documentary video to help make their case to a larger audience.

Tracy Rankin of Fargo named her day care business King of the Jungle.  Now we know what she meant -- Tracy has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding five banks and stealing the identities of two friends.  Federal Judge Ralph Erickson said, “I’ve never seen anything like it,” and called her a “pathological liar.”

They are back -- a group called the Red River Freethinkers continues a relentless battle to remove a 1958 Ten Commandment monument from public property in downtown Fargo.  The Freethinkers lost a lawsuit in 2005 which determined the display was secular in nature.