Ding, dong, the Chief is (almost) dead
The last dance for Chief Illiniwek?After 80 years, Chief Illiniwek on Saturday will begin what is likely to be his last year of dancing at University of Illinois football games, university sources said.
The chief, who will appear at the season opener at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, will also dance at home basketball games this winter.
But after that, he will no longer be an official university symbol, the sources said. 
The chief, who will appear at the season opener at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, will also dance at home basketball games this winter.
But after that, he will no longer be an official university symbol, the sources said.
posted by Rob at 3:49 PM
7 Comments:
Writerfella here --
There is an upside but also a downside to the business of removing 'stereotypical' symbols, mascots, and team cognomens that are adjudged as racist, degrading, and unsympathetic to Native peoples. As a Kiowa Native, I dearly would love to see the Florida Seminoles and the Atlanta 'Braves' shed their purely anachronistic pejorative behavior and their "Pow-Wow The Indian Boy" chants in favor of more meaningful American identities.
But here in Oklahoma, I also have been witness to a very strange and arcane development at the University of Oklahoma. For years past WWII, the football and baseball teams at OU had an 'Indian' mascot, "Little Red," a real Native young man in costume who danced every time the various teams made a score. The beat he danced to was provided by the OU Pep Band. In 1970, the American Indian Movement came to Norman, Oklahoma, and protested "Little Red" as being degrading and offensive to Native peoples, specifically because he danced to the White Man's drums. Those of us Natives, myself included, who felt pride at "Little Red's" presence on the field and the baseball field as an honor, attended the official hearing that was conducted by the university. It may have been the very first time that such an institution broached the subject in a public forum. The final result was that "Little Red" would become disenfranchised after those football and baseball seasons.
For such reasons, I then enrolled at OU and worked myself into position to oppose anything else that AIM visited upon that campus, and mostly I succeeded, always singlehandedly. They likely still are sore-headed because of that period. For I knew what would occur in the future, being a budding science fiction writer at the time. And the events I foresaw indeed came to pass.
Theretofore, Natives and "Little Red" had an honored and respected position in the student body's regard. After the departure of "Little Red," all of that changed. White students opposed Indian Heritage Week and its various presentations. These oppositions became so powerful that various of the university's fraternities would attack Indian Heritage Week displays, burning tipis and other icons that were set up, or knocking them down and urinating on the materials. As time has progressed, Indian Hertage Week almost has no import on the OU campus. Native students seem to be singled out for assault and/or embarrassment. The 'cowboys vs. Indians' syndrome is in full feather at OU, and it can be traced backward to 1970.
What fate will Native students undergo at the various schools that more or less have been pressured into dissolving their Native names or identities or themes? Is Oklahoma University the template for what occurs from this point forward? Tune in tomorrow, for these are an ongoing scenarios...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
As I always say, let's tackle the most offensive mascots first and worry about the others later. I don't think something like the William & Mary Tribe, with a single feather on its logo, is particularly harmful.
I'm also not big on confrontational protests or boycotts, not to mention burning things. Naturally, I think my approach--writing about the issues and educating people--is best.
Rob --
I agree. No arguments here...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writer: Do you think that the departure of "Little Red" caused the hostility and violence you mentioned? Or was another factor at work?
Whenever Indians criticize a mascot, no matter how well reasoned their arguments, the fans seem to go ballistic. See Fighting Sioux vs. Fighting Irish for a good example of this. You have to wonder if there isn't some underlying racism behind their antagonism.
Writerfella here --
As stated before, the Native presence as a mascot for OU became a matter of pride for the entire University and its student body, just as the University football team became a matter of similar pride. Native students benefitted from such pride as they likely were seen as symbols of the University as well. One only has to witness the negative reactions of the student body to the football team when they have a losing season, to understand the mechanism at work.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I had pride when I was a Titan in high school, but I didn't care when, years later, my school merged with another school and became the Panthers. If someone asked, I'd still say I was a Titan, not a Panther. Changing the name didn't change the historical record or my memories of it.
Therefore, I don't quite get this unhealthy attachment to mascots. I could (barely) see it if I were currently a student and had been rooting for Little Red or Sammy Seminole the other night. But what do alumni care about a mascot at a school they haven't attended in 20 years? Enjoy your nostalgia, people, but get a life.
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