Exciting things are happening in North Dakota, the
website says so. I have visited North Dakota three times: it’s a striking
landscape that is worth seeing. I must have stopped by before this new era
of excitement, though, because things were pretty quiet.
In 1947, the website tells me, there was an effort to
change the name of North Dakota to Dakota. It was defeated in the state
legislature. I imagine some interstate lobbying from South Dakota, who must
have seen this effort as alarming. Dakota and South Dakota? Annexing was
clearly on the agenda. North Dakota is an exciting and ambitious state.
The state hymn includes 18 mentions of North Dakota in
four verses. So, to be fair, the Dakota lobby could have just been trying
to save some major ink. North Dakota is an exciting, ambitious, and
proud state.
North Dakota also has a state creed, though it is
unofficial. North Dakota is an exciting, ambitious, proud and rebellious state. Calm down, North
Dakota, and play nice with your sister (state)!
