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.

When I started the book, I was not convinced either way. But after years of research and interviews, and after following Native American activists and educators around as they speak to state legislators, school boards and sports fans, I have made up my mind on this issue.

Since you have not seen this for yourself, I want to tell you that I have been shocked at how these Indian people are received. Again and again, I observed as they stated their genuine concerns about the effects of stereotyping on their children and young people. Again and again, I watched and listened as they said they were offended. They were ignored, discounted and angrily attacked for speaking up.

How can this be when sports fans, school boards and university trustees all claim to honor and respect American Indians? This contradiction, between the admiration fans genuinely feel for this fictional character, and the way they treat living, breathing American Indian people is at the very dark heart of this debate.

What has been lacking in this debate for ten years is historical context. Unfortunately, I can't give you that in four minutes. I would just like to say quickly that Americans have divided Indians into two categories, and here I speak of nonIndian Americans. The real and the imaginary.

Historically, we have shown little interest in real Indian people. When they speak up, we are quick to dismiss them, not full- blooded, not traditional, given up their Indian ways, belonged to the wrong tribe. We have created laws forcing them to give up their cultures and religions and then refused to recognize them as real Indians when their cultures change, as all human cultures do constantly. This ambivalence of ours has put Indian people in a real bind.

Chief Illiniwek is an imaginary Indian, the kind we have been interested in. Where did he come from? I hear Pine Ridge, home of the Oglala Sioux. That is where we purchased his costume. But his performance cannot be traced to any tribal tradition. It comes to us straight from Buffalo Bill and the Wild West show. Wild West shows were part of the American circus tradition. They traveled to small towns all over the country between 1900 and 1920, putting on one or two shows under a big top and then moving on.

Buffalo Bill and other circus owners employed Indians, mostly from the Sioux nation, as actors. And another parallel with the University of Illinois, Buffalo Bill claimed his sketches were historically accurate, educational and morally uplifting. Three forms of entertainment still exist today: The western, the rodeo and the half-time performance.

In 1926 while Boy Scouts here were pretending to be Indians and dancing publicly, American Indians were forbidden by law to dance themselves. They did not stop dancing, of course, but they had to do so surreptitiously or else risk punishment. It was not until 1934 and the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act that American Indians could perform their own dances on their own reservations without risking punishment.

Buffalo Bill promoted the idea that his show was historical to make a buck. He was all showman and he knew what business he was in. Show business. We are here at a public university. Buffalo Bill died in 1917. You are here in 2000. Please have the courage and let's end this Wild West show.

MODERATOR GARIPPO: I hate to do this, but I have scheduled two more speakers than we have time to hear. I am sorry. We have Kevin Baldwin and William McCray. I understand we have to vacate the auditorium for another event. And it's unfortunate we didn't hear everybody. It's my fault that I scheduled too many. And we went a little slower this afternoon than I thought we were going to.

So, I wish to thank all of you who have participated. The remarks were eloquent on both sides. We have heard a lot. And I believe the, together with what we heard today and the input that we can receive through the e-mails and correspondence, I am sure that I am going to be able to put together a report that adequately states the position of all sides.

I would like to be reminded that Tuesday there is still an opportunity to video tape your remarks on the second floor lobby. And those video taped remarks will be considered along with the remarks of today. So, that's finished. They are off now. I'm sorry. If you could submit those in writing to us. I would appreciate it. I hate to do this, I know you probably all waited very long. I wish to thank you.

I wish to thank the staff for volunteering the time and maintaining the atmosphere of, today. It was truly an inspiring set of speeches that we heard today on both sides of the issue. And I thank you all. If you all just please exit this auditorium as quickly as possible.

STATE OF ILLINOIS )

) COUNTY OF CHAMPAIGN)

I, AUDREY PAULSON, do hereby certify that I am a court reporter doing business in the State of Illinois, County of Champaign, City of Champaign; that I reported in machine shorthand the intake session on April 14, 2000, and that the foregoing transcript is a true and correct copy of my shorthand notes.

______________________

AUDREY PAULSON, CSR

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