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U.I. Dialogue Intake Session |
RetireTheChief
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.
MR. PAUL HIXSON: Good afternoon, my name is Paul Hixson, I come before you today in a number of capacities. I am an alum, as well as a current staff member who has worked here for more than 30 years. Other members of my immediate family are also proud alum of this great University. I am also a loyal, long-time season ticket holder for major athletic events, and one last major connection I would like to establish for me is that I am a long time member of McKinley Presbyterian Church, which was the first campus- based church on a public campus. And one of the McKinley's major focuses is on serving the needs of students, faculty and staff of this particular campus.I mention all of these things so that you will see that I have lots of very strong ties to this institution. And in many cases, I am very proud of this great University. However, regretfully, there is one area where I cannot say that that is true. And that's the continued use of Chief Illiniwek as the symbol of this campus. At a personal level, I am deeply embarrassed and offended by the misuse of Native American customs and spiritual practices, all carried out in the name of maintaining a 74-year-old half-time skit and promoting school spirit.
As a non-Native person, I have had the true privilege of visiting and working in a number of indigenous communities over the past 33 years, in areas stretching from rural Alaska to southern New Mexico. And out of that experience, I have developed a profound respect for various Native cultures and religions and all that they have the potential to teach each of us about the human condition.
As a non-Native person, I would like to speak about the matter of how one really honors the spiritual customs of another culture. This fall -- I mentioned that I am a Presbyterian, this fall I was very proud of my denomination when they passed a resolution at their national 211st General Assembly taking a strong stand on this issue. Resolution called in part for "Universities and colleges that use Native American imagery or symbols to develop a process to choose a new name, logo or mascot."
The reasoning was simple empathy. Quote, "The abuse of Christian symbols, such as the cross or chalice, for entertainment or profit would be insulting, insensitive, and an affront to Christian spirituality, it is therefore unacceptable.
"Similarly, the abuse of Native American symbols such as a headdress, feathers or sacred pipe for entertainment or profit would be insulting, insensitive and an affront to Native American spirituality. It's therefore equally unacceptable."
This really is a case where it's truly that simple, folks. Which one of you would like to have your entire cultural heritage supposedly summed up in a half-time ceremony? Particularly if you knew that your people had been the victims of past oppression in this very same area. Regardless of the stated good intentions by the proponents for the Chief, if the people who are supposed to be honored by this symbol are instead outraged and offended by the practice, then face it, the U of I is not honoring, we are offending.
Finally, I am proud to announce that last night at the regularly scheduled meeting of this McKinley Church's Session, the ruling elders of that congregation unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Board of Trustees and the administration of this campus to retire the Chief as a symbol for this campus. It's time for the Chief to go. Now.
MODERATOR GARIPPO: We will adjourn for 15 minutes.
(A break was taken, and the intake session continued as follows:)
MODERATOR GARIPPO: If people will take their seats. We may begin. Dennis Payne.
See the U.I. Dialogue on Chief Illiniwek page for more transcripts and information.