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RetireTheChief
Tara, Fri. Sep. 10
(Opinion: pro-Chief)
Why? Why is this even an issue? Has the chief really hurt anyone? The controversy surrounding the Chief is so unnecessary and ridiculous. Nowadays, people are just looking for something to cause a stink about simply because they can. This issue is the least of our problems. There are so many issues that we should be more concerned with that have a greater impact in our society. We should focus our energies towards issues that matter to everyone, like shelters for the homeless, crime on campus and its surrounding cities, and helping families in need. Let me also remind you, "OUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR!"
Nevertheless, working in athletics at the University of Illinois has made me more aware of the controversy regarding Chief Illiniwek and I personally would like to see the Chief remain. "SAVE THE CHIEF!" The Chief is an Illini tradition who symbolizes the university's athletics in an honorable way and has since 1926 when he first appeared at the University of Illinois. If the representation by the Chief is as bad as the "anti-chief" protesters want you to believe, then why wasn't this issue brought about years ago? Should I point out that the "Block I" is the symbol of the university?
Furthermore, it takes great honor and pride to be chosen as a mascot and the Chief is merely a mascot, which means: a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as the symbol of an organization such as a sports team. Whether he performs dance rituals correctly or not shouldn't really matter because he's just a symbol of pride that represents athletics at the university. In no way does the chief make a mockery of Indian culture!
After all, if I were an Indian, I'd be proud to see the Chief representing sports at a great university such as the University of Illinois. However, I would definitely show concern if the chief were portraying the Native Americans in a way that would humiliate their historic heritage. "HAIL TO THE CHIEF!" And, "GO ILLINI!"
"Tara - Urbana, IL," via the web.
RetireTheChief replies:
Tara,
Thank you for writing on this controversial issue. I generally don't kick in my opinion in response to letters, but you touch on a lot of common themes, so I will here.
Has the chief really hurt anyone? According to Native Americans I have talked to, yes - no question. The issues you mentioned - the war on terror (which may never quite end, unfortunately), the homeless - are terribly important. But, not being part of a minority (I'm white), it can be hard to imagine how minorities feel about this issue - all the better reason to hear what they have to say. Native Americans see this as a particularly visible symbol of a big problem - other people and institutions (the state of IL) taking images of them, their history and culture, and using it as they wish. Some of the Chief symbolism steps on issues of Native religion, so it becomes very personal and important to Native people.
The arguments regarding the chief did, in fact, start a very long time ago. Protests against the chief go back at least as far as 1989, when Senator Paul Simon signed a petition against the chief. I invite you and anyone else interested in the history of the Chief to look here.
You say "the Chief is merely a mascot, which means: a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck." The problem here is this mascot is very intentionally made to look like a Native American. Try to imagine how this feels: as a mascot, Indians are put on the same (material) level with animals or objects; the Chief is promoted, sold on clothing, etc. Having a visible symbol (a white undergrad wearing face paint and costume) of their race as a school mascot is infuriating and deeply upsetting to Native Americans.
It is not intended that the chief be a mockery of Indian culture, but American Indians see it that way, and worse. There are plenty of images of white people, and not so many of American Indians. As Native American Yvonne Casanova said in an interview with me, "Indian people [have] 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." Yvonne is an attorney.
I have often heard non-Native people say "If I were an Indian, I would be happy with / proud of the chief." The problem is, they aren't. I believe you, Tara, when you say you would be concerned if the chief were portraying Native Americans in a bad way. Please listen to what they say - they say it is offensive to them. One prominent Native American, Joe Podlasek of the American Indian Center in Chicago, says "it is our grandfathers that [the Chief] is trying to represent," and in his opinion it is being done quite badly. Don't take my word for it - take his MP3; more).
The Native Americans I've spoken with don't want other people or institutions or the State of Illinois to represent them or "honor" their heritage or culture. Can't we find a symbol/mascot that doesn't resemble a race of people?