The "New" Chief Resolution

The text of the "Resolution Concerning Chief Illiniwek" to be addressed at this week's Board meeting follows.

Whereas, Chief Illiniwek has been a treasured symbol of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since its introduction in 1926;

Whereas, many students have performed well and ably in the role of Chief Illiniwek;

Whereas, Chief Illiniwek was created and intended as an honorable and respectful representation of the indigenous people whose name is commemorated in the name of this State and its flagship university;

Whereas, Chief Illiniwek has symbolized the dignity, strength, intelligence, and grace to which athletic teams at the Urbana-Champaign campus have aspired;

Whereas, at the Board's request, the Honorable Judge Louis B. Garippo prepared a comprehensive report titled The Chief Illiniwek Dialogue -- Intent and Tradition vs. Reaction and History - A Report to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, which contains a historical record of Chief Illiniwek and many opinions about the tradition;

Whereas, Trustee Roger Plummer delivered a report to the Board concerning the varying views on the matter of Chief Illiniwek, as well as the historical support for the terms "Illini" and "Fighting Illini" as they pertain to the athletic teams at the Urbana-Champaign campus;

Whereas, as representatives of a great 136 year-old land grant university, the diverse people and cultures of Illinois, the university's nearly 71,000 students and its 300,000 proud in-state alumni, the Board of Trustees affirms that these constituencies are deserving of a conclusion to the Chief Illiniwek matter that is based upon a consensus among concerned parties;

Whereas, through dialogue, the Board of Trustees acknowledges that opportunities exist for consensus to be reached;

Whereas, such a conclusion provides an opportunity to resolve the Chief Illiniwek matter in a manner that is in the very best interest of the University and not of any particular constituency or interest group, that is consistent with the values espoused and practiced by the University, that has a compelling rationale found acceptable by a large majority of the University's constituencies, and that brings finality to the subject;

Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Board shall seek a consensus conclusion to the matter of Chief Illiniwek; and

Further Be It Resolved, that the Board shall next consider and approve guidelines pursuant to which a consensus conclusion will be based.

Opinion

The UIUC Board of Trustees (BOT) have brought forth a resolution which will only delay any decisive vote on the Chief.

In its current form, it is very clearly a pro-Chief statement. The Board has therein shown such a bias that this document is instead serving to galvanize and strengthen the resolve of the anti-Chief movement. With this unfortunate statement, the Board of Trustees:

• Ignored their own Dialogue on Chief Illiniwek, which made clear the difficulty (if not impossibility) of any consensus between the two sides;
• Deferred a decision which is clearly theirs to make by expecting others to form this "consensus";
• Delayed any resolution on this matter by failing to assert how, and on what timeline, such a consensus would be reached (details are left for later meetings);
• Reaffirmed that its priorities are for the University of Illinois - true enough - but in a way that shows thorough disregard for Native Americans and national civil rights organizations.

Rather than take a step forward, the Board, which has seen more than its share of "dialogue" on this issue, has taken two steps back.

There are two losses here. The first is the unnecessary delay in the resolution of an issue that has gripped the campus and garnered unfavorable publicity for the University for over a decade.

The second is increasing evidence that the Board, and by implication the University, is going down the wrong path, one marked by a turn away from their diversity goals; one which fails to strengthen the national and international reputation of a fine institution, and one that fails to show respect for all people in an era in which American demographics are changing so rapidly.

Must the U. of I. continue to show a public dismissal of minorities as evident in a century-old representation of Native people?

An opportunity to affirm the University as a forward-looking institution is upon us, and appears to be lost, or, rather, dismissed.

"If they decide to keep the Chief, the controversy stays" -- Charlene Teters

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice" -- Rush, Freewill

Wed., June 16: Anti-Chief
Protest in Chicago

An anti-Chief protest will be held in Chicago today. It is being organized by the Native American Educational Services (NAES) College.

The protest will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Truman College in Chicago (1145 West Wilson Avenue; 773-907-4700; see map below).

• Vernon Bellecourt
• Frank Sage (fought against Univ. North Dakota mascot);
• Siobhan - president of of the U. of I. Red Roots native student organization;
• Karen Bond (National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and the Media)

The protest will continue until 6:30 p.m., at which time a march will begin, arriving at the American Indian Center in Chicago (1630 W. Wilson Ave.; 773-275-5871) around 7:15 p.m., where the Board of Trustees will be having dinner (the protest is not directed at AIC).

The next day, Thursday June 17, the Board will take up the resolution to retire the Chief. A rally will be held outside prior to the meeting. The meeting will be held at the University of Illinois in Chicago; see this page for more information.

Campus Town Protest

The I-Resist statement continues: "We are asking all Champaign-Urbana community members to boycott businesses that are profiting from the perpetuation of negative stereotypes. The use of Chief Illiniwek as a school mascot continues to polarize the campus community and sends a message of disrespect and domination over American Indians."

Click on any image below to see a short movie, or choose an option below the image. Quicktime (QT) and audio-only (MP3) are available.

Movie: QT, 3 MB

Movie: QT, 1.6 MB / Audio: MP3, 0.4 MB

Movie: QT, 1.8 MB / Audio: MP3, 0.4 MB

Movie: QT, 3 MB / Audio: MP3, 0.4 MB

Remember?      March 15, 2004      Native Americans protest at the University of Illinois

Ten Reasons to Retire The Chief

1. Diversity. We do want a diverse, inclusive atmosphere welcoming of all cultures. 2. Stereotypes. The Chief perpetuates harmful, insulting stereotypes of Native people in a big way. 3. Publicity. The presence of the Chief has brought national disapproval to an outstanding University. 4. Racism. It was not the intention, and no one likes the "R" word, but Native Americans are very upset by the presence of Chief Illiniwek. 5. Children. Powerful stereotypes are particularly harmful to children - their self esteem and school performance.

6. Accuracy. Let's be honest - the Chief isn't the real thing. The dance is part of half-time entertainment. 7. Honor. Native Americans are not honored. Quite the contrary, they have made it clear they are offended by the Chief. 8. NCAA. In case you missed it, the NCAA has made it clear they are unhappy with American Indian mascots. 9. Choices. Potential faculty and students have chosen not to teach or attend the University because of the Chief. 10. Image. Call the Chief a symbol or a mascot - he is a public figure that harms the University's image.