Must not comment on the American-Indian-ness of people who dress as American Indians

They draw attention to themselves as Indians and then don't want anyone to notice?

University of South Dakota officials said they plan to strengthen student conduct policies and do more work on cultural sensitivity after a racial incident during the school’s Dakota Days parade.

USD Dean of Students Kim Grieve said the actions are in response to an episode that happened just before the parade Oct. 5. Rosebud native Alexis Oskolkoff said she and her 10-year-old son, Joseph, were dressed in tribal regalia and walking to meet their group when students on a nearby float yelled out, “Look at those Indians,” and began making war whoops with their hands to their mouths.

The look on her son’s face at that moment nearly broke her heart, said Oskolkoff, 30, a senior at USD majoring in anthropology and Native Studies.

“He was really upset,” she said. “You could tell it hurt his feelings. I shouted at them so they stopped. I mean, I’m used to having racial things said to me. But when it comes to my son, I put my foot down. I’m not going to let them do that to my son.”

Grieve called the incident “very, very disappointing, very troubling. The university as a whole is very disappointed.”

Representatives from Strollers, the university’s oldest student-run organization and the group responsible for the float from which the taunts came, apologized verbally and in writing to Oskolkoff and her son last Thursday.

Strollers adviser Lindsay Sparks said the taunters have not been identified. But Strollers president Chris Jahr, who was not present at the time of the incident, said apologizing was the right thing for him and his group to do.

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