Native Americans
discuss Chief Illiniwek
Those in favor of retaining Chief Illiniwek as a UIUC
symbol often point out their belief that the chief honors
Native Americans. However sincere the intent, recent protests
show that Native Americans do not feel honored by
the Chief. Rather, many find it offends them at a very personal,
even spiritual, level.
Earlier this year, several members of the Native American community
in Chicago agreed to be interviewed, and to describe their feelings about
Chief Illiniwek. Included were the president of Chicago's
NAES College and the director of the American Indian
Center. Excerpts from these interviews appear below,
along with links to movies in which they say
how they feel about the Chief.
Click on any image for a movie, or choose a movie (or audio-only MP3)
link below the image.
Faith Smith
President, NAES College, Chicago
QT movie (4 MB),
Audio only (MP3; 2 MB)
Faith Smith is President of the
Native American Educational Services (NAES)
College in Chicago. NAES College is the only independent, Native owned and
controlled college in the United States, and has had a degree program for
30 years.
"Why is it that institutions in our society cannot deal with us as Native people in
the present - so we're Native people in the past ... and so it becomes harmful."
"When you see something like a Chief Illiniwek, where a symbol has become so outrageous - it's not
that it is a little off, it's totally outrageous."
"I can't find any way that anybody at the University would think that
keeping this symbol in any way honors Native people."
Joe Podlasek
Director, American Indian Center
QT movie (1 MB),
Audio only (MP3; 500 KB)
Joe Podlasek is Executive Director of the American Indian Center (AIC) in Chicago,
which is the oldest urban American Indian center in the
United States. AIC was founded in 1953, and Mr. Podlasek has served
as director since 2001.
"People need to take the time to learn about who American Indians really are ...
and understand and respect the issues that are at hand.
By doing that, I think it will be a clearer decision to remove the Chief."
Leonard Malatare
NAES College, Chicago
QT movie (3 MB),
Audio only (MP3; 1 MB)
"[the Chief] creates a hostile environment for the American Indian to have
to live in."
"We moved out to the suburbs ... we moved into a hostile environment ...
My son soon felt like he was being discriminated against. His
peers used to holler at him: 'Hey squaw, do a rain dance for us.'"
"This is the type of thing that is going on all over Indian America ...
this is happening to Indian children all over the United States
in urban areas. Everybody has misconceptions about Native Americans,
and stereotypes, racist images, mascots, professional team names -- all of
this adds to the racism that is going on against the American Indian today.
It needs to stop. It needs to stop now."
"While you sit at your half-time shows and have fun, it is hurting a race
of people. It is hurting the American Indian."
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Yvonne Casanova
Executive Director, Coalition
of the Chicago Indian Community
QT movie (3 MB),
Audio only (MP3; 1 MB)
Yvonne Casanova is an attorney and Director of the Coalition of the
Chicago American Indian Community. The Coalition addresses
issues affecting Chicago and statewide American Indians.
"We view [the Chief] as not authentic and not particularly flattering ...
for most Indian people, we've had to live with stereotypes. For the most
part, the stereotypes have not been easy to live with...
I've been asked if we still live in tents."
"The Chief portraying Indians as half-time entertainment doesn't sit well
with most Native people; I know it doesn't sit well with me."
Davis Wounded Eye
QT movie (4 MB),
Audio only (MP3; 1 MB)
"I was taught to respect people, I was taught to respect myself, our ways of life ...
I believe that Chief Illiniwek is a disgrace to our people, and he has no significance that
is honorable to us as Indian people."
"The feathers that [the Chief] wears are sacred to our people ...
it is not to be played with, or made fun of."
"It's not up to the students either, because the students are
only going to be there for four years, and they're going to move on ...
My son is Native American, and he's going to be Native American his
whole life."
Christine Redcloud
American Indian Center, Chicago
QT movie (600 KB),
Audio only (MP3; 200 KB)
Christine Redcloud is a Board Member of the Chicago American Indian Center, and serves as
Faculty Chair, Academic Advisor and Registrar at NAES College.
"If they don't retire the Chief, it's going to be the same controvery
20 years from now, when [her son] is looking for a school to go to."
"We've said it all before. How many times do we have to say it?
How many different ways can we say it?"
SD High School Students
Sign anti-Chief Petition
On April 15-16, over 240 students and teachers at Pine Ridge(SD) High School signed a petition calling for retirement of
the Chief.
The petition and
signatures were sent to Governor Blagojevich and
to the U. of I.
Click to see petition & signatures
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