The following transcript is from the 4/14/00 Chief Illiniwek dialogue "intake session". It is an unedited excerpt from the original U.I. document.

Some points of the Y's history are important to note. One, at the beginning part of this century, we supported the education from elementary school through a degree from the University of Illinois and medical school at Northwestern University of Carlos Montezuma, who was of Apache origin.

Early publications and facilities reflect an interest and fascination with Native American culture, including the YUs Indian, the newsletter from 1920 to 1989 and the wigwam room remained the Kaeser Room in 1952 after a major donor and uncle of the first Chief Illiniwek, Lester Leutwiler, whose life-size portrait dressed as the Chief hung in the YMCA for 40 years.

However, in response to requests from the University YWCA, and the belief that Chief Illiniwek, whatever the original intent, functions as a symbol harmful to Native Americans in their quest for justice and equality, the YMCA Board of Governors agreed to address their own history and involvement with Chief Illiniwek. Several persons reported the pain and embarrassment of finding the need to change long held positions.

Points of concern to the Board were very similar to the concerns expressed in this dialogue, the Y's mission, to be an open forum, its financial support, image, tradition, and doing the right thing. It was determined that to take no stand was actually to condone or support acts seen by some as racist, or at least as a misrepresentation of a group of people.

It seems that the representation by the Chief does not encourage people who have witnessed the dance to learn more about Native Americans or help them gain justice, rather, it is seen mainly as a form of entertainment.

After extensive and sensitive discussion, the Board acted. The result was the following resolution adopted by the University YMCA Board of Governors, January 31, 1991.

Mindful of this Association's past of Native American symbolism, of recent YMCA programming concerning Native American issues, and of grievous disadvantages experienced by Native Americans residing in the United States of America; supportive of the purposes of the Coalition for a new tradition, of which the University YMCA is a member; and, believing that Chief Illiniwek as a symbol associated with the University of Illinois athletic teams, though not intended to be disrespectful, is an inappropriate representation of American Indian Native, and head logos as well as the practice of designating a person to wear the Chief Illiniwek costume, perform the dance and otherwise perpetuate the tradition.

The Board of Governors commits the YMCA's recourses to continue and strengthen programming and to provide information and open discussions on issues affecting Native Americans and extend services to the Native American community.

The portrait of Lester Leutwiler posing as Chief Illiniwek has been removed from the Kaeser Room at the YMCA. It has been gone for ten years. Relations with the Leutwiler extended family remained positive and they remained major donors until their deaths in the late 1990s. The University YMCA did lose some contributors, but the financial health of the institution has thrived in the last ten years, and just in the last six months, we received word of a gift worth half a million dollars from a 1937 alumnus.

The University YMCA has not merely made this resolution and let it drop. Rather, it has continued to work for the elimination of this inappropriate symbol and for increased awareness of real Native Americans. Thank you.

See the U.I. Dialogue on Chief Illiniwek page for more transcripts and information.