Saturday, April 30, 2005

U of I reports to NCAA on use of Chief Illiniwek


By Todd C. Frankel


The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign submitted a report to the NCAA on
Friday explaining why the school continues to use Chief Illiniwek as a school
symbol.

The NCAA requested similar reports from 31 schools nationwide that use American
Indian mascots or names - schools such as the Southeast Oklahoma State Savages
and the Central Michigan Chippewas.

The NCAA asked about the nickname's origin, its history, how decisions are made
about its future and whether issues of diversity, discrimination and
sportsmanship were considered. It is not clear if the NCAA plans to take any
action.

The Illinois report featured a lengthy compilation of past actions and debate,
said university spokesman Tom Hardy.

The school's stance toward the Chief is unchanged, Hardy said: "The basic
position is that the board of trustees has ownership of the Chief Illiniwek
tradition."

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UI sends lengthy report to NCAA


By JODI HECKEL
April 30, 2005

Excerpt:
URBANA – The NCAA will spend the next few months reviewing information about how American Indian symbols are used by the University of Illinois and other schools.

The UI this week sent a self-evaluation of its use of Chief Illiniwek to the NCAA. Any response by the NCAA likely won't be made before August, when its executive committee meets to review recommendations on the issue.

The NCAA has been looking at the use of American Indian imagery by athletic teams for the past few years. It asked 31 schools with American Indian mascots, logos or nicknames to conduct a self-analysis to determine if they can be seen as offensive. Information from the schools is due Sunday.

The UI provided materials from the last 15 years of debate on the issue, including resolutions passed by the board of trustees; the report of former Cook County Circuit Judge Louis B. Garippo, who presided over two days of dialogue in 2000; and the report by former trustee Roger Plummer, who was asked to explore options for resolving the controversy.

UI spokesman Tom Hardy, who worked with the Urbana campus on the response, called it an "encyclopedic review" of the history of the Chief Illiniwek debate.

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Friday, April 22, 2005

New trustee: Illiniwek 'a distraction'

Excerpted from:

Friday, April 22, 2005
By Phil Davidson

Dorris wants to focus on issues

SPRINGFIELD -- The newest member of the University of Illinois board of trustees says the controversy surrounding Chief Illiniwek is "a distraction and a waste of time."

"I like to focus on what I consider the real problems," said David Dorris of LeRoy, who was unanimously confirmed for the trustee position by the state Senate on Thursday.

Dorris, a 1973 U of I law school graduate, joined the board of trustees in March after being named to the post by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. His appointment generated criticism because Dorris, a 57-year-old trial lawyer, has contributed more than $80,000 to the governor's campaign fund.

Since assuming the duties of a trustee, Dorris has been bombarded with advocacy and lawsuits regarding the school's symbol.

Last month, the Illinois Native American Bar Association and two individuals, a U of I-Chicago student and a Champaign resident, filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the board of trustees. They claim use of the Indian symbol violates state constitutional rights of American Indians as well as board policies against racial discrimination.

Supporters of the chief, a group as fervent as their counterparts, say the symbol honors the people who lived in this area before it became a state.

Dorris said he simply cannot understand the passion of either side.

If the chief is causing any harm to minorities, it should be eliminated, he said. That same reasoning goes if it's causing any harm to the university.

"I hate to see us talk about something that's not really going to change the world one way or another," Dorris said.

Though Dorris said he wouldn't feel one bit different if Chief Illiniwek were eliminated tomorrow, he does not want to see any other mascot as a replacement.

"I don't want to offend my good friends at Illinois State University, but I don't want to see a bird or a gopher or something else running up and down the sidelines," he said. "I guess symbolism is important to some people; not to me."

Blagojevich has declined to take a position on the debate over the mascot, saying the issue is for the trustees to decide.

Dorris' term runs through January 2011. He replaces trustee Jeff Gindorf, who did not seek reappointment when his term expired in January.

New trustee calls Chief Illiniwek debate a 'distraction'

Excerpt:

...University of Illinois' newest trustee says the debate over Chief Illiniwek is a "distraction and a waste of time."

David Dorris says the debate is diverting attention from more important issues.

The Bloomington attorney says he can't understand the passions on either side of the debate...Dorris said the Chief should be retired if it's harming minorities or the university.The Illinois Senate confirmed Dorris' appointment yesterday.

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Speaking for the Symbol (Part 3/3)


The Daily Illini
4/22/05

This is the third in a three-part series that profiles those who portray Chief Illiniwek and the deep significance they attach to the symbol amidst the controversy.



See "comments" or web-link for full story


Thursday, April 21, 2005

Speaking for the symbol (Part 2/3)


The Daily Illini
4/21/05

This is the second in a three-part series that profiles those who portray Chief Illiniwek and the deep significance they attach to the symbol amidst the controversy.



See "comments" or web-link for full story

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Portraying Illiniwek (Part 1/3)


The Daily Illini
4/20/05

This is the first in a three-part series that profiles those who portray Chief Illiniwek and the deep significance they attach to the symbol amidst the controversy.



See "comments" or web-link for full story

Monday, April 18, 2005

Campus calm one year after protest



The Daily Illini
4/18/05
By Teresa A. Sewell

Outside the Swanlund Administration Building on Friday and Saturday, the atmosphere was calm. There were no signs of the anti-Chief sit-in that took place one year ago this weekend, where dozens of protesters - including faculty, alumni, students and community members - demanded the removal of Chief Illiniwek as the University's symbol.

Yet Chief Illiniwek has remained a symbol of the University. Many have been waiting for the school to take action in the final decision to either keep or remove the Chief, but in the past year, the Chief has not been as big an issue on campus as it has been in previous years.

Jen Tayabji, director of the Illinois Disciples Foundation and member of the Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative, said the PRC decided to "symbolically" take over the Swanlund Administration Building on April 15 after the April 2004 Board of Trustees meeting there was cancelled. Then-student trustee Nate Allen had planned to introduce a resolution at that meeting to eliminate Chief Illiniwek, but when the meeting was canceled by board chair Larry Eppley, the PRC decided to protest outside the building the same day and time the meeting was supposed to be held.

Initially, the protesters demanded that the Chief be eliminated before the sit-in would end. But after 33 hours, the protesters left the building after the University agreed not to take disciplinary action against the sit-in participants, scheduled meetings for anti-Chief representatives to meet with state legislators and allowed protesters to meet with the University's accreditation agency.

Although the Chief was not eliminated because of the sit-in, Tayabji said the sit-in helped expand awareness of the Chief debate.

"We wanted to show them that it was that serious of an issue," Tayabji said.

In the past year, the atmosphere on campus has hardly changed, and if anything has become more pro-Chief.

John McKinn, assistant director of the Native American House, said the campus climate towards the anti-Chief movement has gotten worse since the sit-in.

More students may have become pro-Chief this year due to an increase in school pride and honor following the basketball team's successful season, he said.

McKinn said many students this year might look to the Chief for a way to represent their school pride.

The sit-in came amid other developments in the debate over Chief Illiniwek that favored the pro-Chief side, including the resignation of vocally anti-Chief Chancellor Nancy Cantor in March 2004.

Also in March 2004, Matthew Diller, a pro-Chief candidate, was elected student trustee. Before Diller's election, the past three student trustees had favored retiring Chief Illiniwek. However, with Nick Klitzing's election as student trustee last month, both trustees after the Swanlund sit-in have been past presidents of Students for Chief Illiniwek.

Klitzing declined to comment because of his new role with the BOT.

Gregory Meves, a senior in political science and internal vice president of Students for Chief Illiniwek, said the uproar over the Chief has died down this semester. Many members of Students for Chief Illiniwek have graduated, he said; right now, his group is trying to build membership and educate people on the Chief tradition, he said.

He said many students are pro-Chief, but do not realize the symbol can be something bigger. He said the group believes the Chief is a respectful symbol that helps promote awareness of American Indian culture and heritage. Students for Chief Illiniwek is working to use the support it has to increase the Chief's educational value.

"It's good that students support us, but that's not enough," Meves said.

Michael Bordieri, senior in LAS and PRC co-coordinator, said he is pleased that the sit-in elevated the attention of the issue and got the state legislature involved. However, Bordieri said he is disappointed that there have been no concrete results in the removal of the Chief or settling the issue.

In June 2004, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution calling for a "consensus conclusion" before the Chief issue could be resolved - although the board has not said what that term means, nor stated a plan about how such a conclusion would be reached. In September 2004, the board passed a second resolution saying that any solution to the Chief debate should honor Illinois' American Indian heritage.

Thomas Hardy, University spokesman, said unfortunately this is one issue that many people strongly disagree about and the BOT is working towards a consensus.

Tom Livingston, who portrayed Chief Illiniwek in the late 1980s, described the Chief as a work of art.

"The Chief expresses majesty, grace and the good qualities inside of a world-class University, just like a painting," Livingston said.

Livingston said although he respects everyone's opinion, he has interacted with tribal communities and they have no problem with the Chief symbol.

McKinn said he is puzzled as to why there are no administrative leaders taking control of the Chief debate.

"I wonder what it is going to take for them to hear our voices," McKinn said.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Initial report is untrue

From the Peoria Star Journal



Exceprt:

Democratic Senate President Emil Jones last week said the reason Illinois lost the NCAA basketball tournament was the lack of a mascot. Jones said Illinois was the only team in the Final Four that didn't have a mascot, and he told Blagojevich "if they lose, that's the reason why they lost." Sure, whatever you say.

This is probably another part of Jones' campaign to get rid of Chief Illiniwek, the non-mascot mascot of the University of Illinois. Illiniwek wasn't at the tournament because he wasn't going to be able to do his halftime dance. If he wasn't going to do the dance, a university spokesman sniffed, there was no reason for Illiniwek to attend the game because he's no mere mascot. Sure, whatever you say.

Safe stance

Blagojevich has steered clear of the Illiniwek controversy. With just over a year and a half to the next election, he can't afford to alienate yet another large constituency, and there are a lot of Illiniwek backers out there.

One excuse he's used in the past is that he's never seen Illiniwek in action and didn't want to comment on something he hadn't seen. That changed last week when Illiniwek performed at a rally honoring the Illinois men's basketball team. Blagojevich was in attendance. He was also roundly booed, but that's another issue.

So, governor, now that you've seen Illiniwek in person, do you think he's a beloved school icon or a racist caricature? Your opinion counts, since you appoint the U of I trustees.

"Nothing has changed in my view," Blagojevich said. "I have my own personal opinion on it. It would be inappropriate meddling on my part to express my own personal viewpoint."

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Opinion: Illiniwek no stereotype, should stay

Illiniwek no stereotype, should stay

By Bryan Tolles
April 07, 2005
The Daily Northwestern>br>

Last week I was blessed with tickets to the NCAA men's Basketball finals in St. Louis. Although drunk, I noticed something was missing in the halftime show -- Chief Illiniwek. In fact, he was missing from the entire NCAA tournament. The Chief's absence spoiled the most important game in the 100-year basketball history of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That and North Carolina's brilliant three-point performance.

Overzealous liberals deem the University of Illinois mascot offensive and argue that he must be eliminated. They contend that Chief Illiniwek stereotypes Native Americans. I would understand this if he were to sit mid-court drinking a beer and managing a slot machine. But the history of the Chief and his performance offers a different perspective.

According to a report published by the university's board of trustees, Chief Illiniwek is an almost 80-year-old tradition at Illinois. The Chief's 5-minute halftime show is based on a dance called "fancy dancing," a Native American celebratory dance. The dance has no religious context and is similar to dances performed at Native American dance competitions.

Illiniwek's outfit is handcrafted by the Sioux. It was purchased from Sioux Chief Frank Fools Crow of the Oglala Lakota Sioux from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1983. So let's not pretend that Chief Illiniwek looks like a cartoon character.

Many universities have changed their Native American mascots, and it is argued that Illinois should do the same. However, this was because these schools treated their mascots as Native American caricatures. Unlike other mascots, the Chief does not take part in any antics on the sideline.

Chief Illiniwek is on the same level as Chief Osceola of the Florida State University Seminoles. Both wear authentic tribal regalia and both perform a short show deriving from a Native American tradition, yet there is little controversy over Osceola. What is it about Chief Illiniwek that is more disturbing than his counterpart Osceola?

I have heard people criticize the Illiniwek name. They find it offensive to name a mascot after a Native American tribe. Illiniwek is a name for the Illinois nation, a group of American Indian tribes. If it is so offensive, then I urge the removal of Peoria and the state of Illinois from all maps.

Illinois officials should consult and cooperate with those knowledgeable of Native American tradition to change any aspects of Illiniwek that are legitimately offensive.

For those insulted by Chief Illiniwek, a goal should be to educate and promote Native American history. How will banning the Chief enlighten others regarding the historical importance of Native Americans?

I challenge the opposition of Chief Illiniwek to use him as an educational tool. Eradication of all Native American symbols in collegiate and professional sports will not change society's perception of them, rather it will eliminate them from our memory. Bryan Tolles is a Weinberg senior. He can be reached at b-tolles@northwestern.edu.

Last month's Rally Against the "Chief" on the U of I campus brought together forty protesters. According to the rally's organizers, there were speakers supporting the removal of Chief Illiniwek. Sounds like someone is preaching to the choir.