• Illini Prarie Dogs Comments from writer:
  Illinois is the prarie state. Prarie Dogs would fit in just fine as an appropriate mascot. Besides that, I like the Emancipators but I do not think that a dancing "Abe" would look good. My third choice, and maybe the most fitting would be to go with the "Illini Fire" in that it would provide consensus with their sister campus in Chicago, a.k.a "The Flames" and it just works. That's it! more later. -TMG [4/29/06]

• Abe Lincoln Comments from writer:
  Everyone loves Abe Lincoln, so why don't we have a Lincoln impersonator as our mascot? [4/29/06]

• "The Chief" of ACME Crimelab and a Gumshoe Comments from writer:
  The mascot (for half-time performances): A gumshoe detective

  >From the Students for "The Chief" group website:

  The Chief of ACME Crime Lab is by far a more prestigious symbol for the University of Illinois than the current controversy-causing Indian impersonator. As a leading investigator, The Chief embodies the attributes valued by alumni, students, and gumshoes of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The legacy of The Chief is a link to our great academic achievements, a tangible symbol of an intangible spirit, filled with qualities to which a person of any background can aspire: goodness, analytical thinking, crime-fighting, truthfulness, diversity, courage, dignity, and justice.

  But seriously, besides playing a role on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Lynne Thigpen, born in Joliet, Illinois, is a character more honorable and suitable than any high-kicking, leather-touting, half-time-entertaining Chief Illiniwek. Lynne majored in dance and theater at the U of I, and even has a school named after her in Joliet. With her achievements in theater and film, we should remember to honor the correct Chief! [4/29/06]

• The Orange Comments from writer:
  Just have an orange for a mascot. Given the obsession over the color orange (see any Illinois sporting event for evidence) this is a no-brainer. [4/29/06]

• (Use No Nickname) Comments from writer:
  Why does a school have to have a nickname? Shouldn't the University of Illinois be enough? Afterall some of the previous suggestions on this site could be offensive too. Such as the Rail Splitters and any reference to Abe Lincoln. Southern students might be offended by honoring someone who helped wage war on the South. Galloping Ghosts might be offensive to Red Grange instead of honoring him. We must be care with how we use the word honor. [3/22/05]

• The Emancipators Comments from writer:
  This name would honor the greatest Illinoian of all, Abraham Lincoln.

• Illinois Rail Splitters Comments from writer:
  Since this is the state where Lincoln came into his prime, I think we should honor his memory by calling ourselves by one of his nicknames.

• (Keep Illini, w/o chief?) Comments from writer:
  Although many people feel that the term "fighting illini" refers only to war-like Native Americans, it is also used in reference to the students at the university who fought at World War I. The term fighting illini is inscribed on the side of the football stadium, along with the names of students who fought in World War I.
  In this way, the term illini refers to the nickname that students gave themselves and to the athletes and soldiers who attended their university. It allows the university to keep the name, without keeping the reference to Native Americans.
  Editor note - not clear if the author was proposing to keep the chief or not - but argued for different interpretation of "Illini." Please send letters regarding the chief to our letters page when appropriate; this page is intended as a resource for possible alternatives.

• The Galloping Ghosts (in honor of football legend Red Grange) (received 11/15). Comments from the writer:
  I grew up in Champaign and lived in the midst of the "Chief" debate. I had never really seen a problem with the mascot. I now live in Tennessee and am doing a paper for one of my college classes on the "Chief" debate. Seeing what the symbol means to people, both positively and negatively, my mind is beginning to change. It is time to retire the "Chief", as honorable as the symbol may be to some, it is hurtful and degrading to others. What school would choose to offend people? Those who support the mascot need to let go and see it off with dignity.

• (no name) (received 10/10). Comments from the writer:
  I think we should still keep the chief, yet change the person who is the representative of the chief. Maybe we could find someone who is actually of some Native American descent, like the small number of African Americans on this campus are, to replace the little white band boy, no disrespect to him, and do the dance. That person could go to a REAL [Reservation] and learn a tribal dance from REAL NATIVE AMERICANS. This would please both sides in my opinion...

• The Lightning (received 8/25). Comments from the writer:
  Lightning comes out of no where, strikes with power, force, and tremendous speed. Here on the Prairie, we have a long tradition of seeing lightning, and feeling it's power. It's an appropriate symbol for us.

• Illini Spirit or Illini Fire (received 7/21). Comments from the writer:
  They should send the Chief off on a funeral pyre and then christen themselves the "Spirit of the Illini", which would not be so bad as long they don't dress up someone to dance around as an Indian. They could dress someone up to dance around like an elemental "spirit" or force, not like an Indian, but more like something you would see in Cirque du Soleil, something magical that dosen't "represent" any particular ethnic group but is instead more like a spirit of place. They could even make a dramatic ritual out of the whole transition, which if it was orchestrated believably could make the new symbol an acceptable substitute for the moderates in both the pro & anti Chief camps.

[Bill M - your message was placed online as a letter]

Send us your suggestions

RetireTheChief welcomes suggestions for alternatives to Chief Illiniwek. Please use the form below to send your ideas to us; we will list them on this page. Serious suggestions only, please; save sarcasm for letters.