Responding to concerns of its American Indian community, St. Cloud State University took the issue of offensive sports team mascots to center stage by sponsoring the Midwest Summit on American Indian Mascots on March 21, 2001.

The summit brought together higher education representatives, tribal leaders, activists and students who are working to change sports team names and end the use of American Indian images as symbols and mascots. The university initiated the summit to raise awareness of the issue, provide a comfortable forum for Indian students and faculty to discuss their concerns and develop a policy that representatives could take back to their campuses.

An estimated 1,000 participants were part of the summit. A traditional pipe ceremony, two speak-out panels were held, one comprising University of North Dakota students, staff and faculty, and another that included Clyde and Vernon Bellecourt and other American Indians. UND students described being the target of discrimination, hate mail and death threats. (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Performance newsletter, spring 2001)

KVSC news reporter and assistant news director at the time, Rob Callahan, gathered audio from the panelists and put together two comprehensive news features, which have been posted as one podcast available here on demand.

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