American Indian performing a native dance during the dedication of the Ralph Englestad Arena.

Since the early 1930s, the University of North Dakota athletic teams have been known as the Fighting Sioux and have used an American Indian head representation as their symbol. UND officially adopted the name “Fighting Sioux” in honor of the first inhabitants of the region and some of the American Indian tribes of the state.

UND ranks among the top higher education institutions in the nation in the number of American Indians in its student population, the variety and substance of its American Indian programs, and the number and success of its American Indian alumni. For example, more than 20 percent of the American Indian doctors practicing in the United States today were trained through UND’s Indians into Medicine (INMED) program. UND has also developed programs to help train American Indians for such professional careers as nursing, psychology, journalism, and the sciences.

The University of North Dakota is firmly committed to promoting an environment that emphasizes respect for diversity. In accordance with this commitment, the UND community is dedicated to respecting the past and present of the American Indian.