[Peace-discuss] Dave Zirin on The Return of the Chief

Tue Oct 30 20:00:36 CDT 2007

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DAVE ZIRIN ON HIS NEW BOOK, WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME: 
THE PAIN, POLITICS, AND PROMISE OF SPORTS

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/dave_zirin/10/30/chiefilliniwek/index.html

The Sad Resurrection of Chief Illiniwek
by Dave Zirin
sportsillustrated.com

Last weekend an unfortunate figure returned to the
University of Illinois, and it wasn't Jeff George.
Chief Illiniwek, the former school mascot, was back to
adorn floats and assorted regalia at Homecoming to the
cheers of some and the bitter horror of those who
thought the feathered one had been retired for good.
You may have thought that the Chief was banned last
year after the NCAA called Illiniwek a "hostile or
abusive" mascot and prevented the school from hosting
postseason games as long as it paraded him about. You
may have thought Illinois had joined dozens of other
schools from Stanford to St. John's in putting Native
American caricatures to bed. You thought wrong.
A victory 20 years in the making was overturned when
Illinois chancellor Richard Herman declared that the
Homecoming ban violated the U.S. constitution saying,
"The University values free speech and free expression
and considers Homecoming floats, decorations, costumes
and related signage all representations of such
personal expression."
Yes, our forefathers fought and died to protect the
right to display caricatures of the conquered at
public institutions of higher learning. The word
Illiniwek means "tribe of superior men." In making the
decision to allow Chief Illiniwek to return, Herman
acted in a manner of the inferior, following instead
of leading.
Those whose heart is with the dancing chief were
thrilled, calling Homecoming "a victory parade." The
organization Students for Chief Illini issued a
statement saying that the original policy was a "slap
in the face to people in the community to say you
can't support your symbol." In an irony that could
only be found in the bizarre lexicon of university
political correctness, the group uses the world
"symbol" instead of "mascot" because the term "mascot"
is offensive to Chief Illiniwek.
Keep in mind, that there never was a Chief Illiniwek.
No one with that name ever existed. His costume is not
in keeping with anything the Illini tribe ever wore
and the dance at halftime was created in 1926 by the
Boy Scouts. But by all means support such a noble
symbol.
The Chief was certainly celebrated at Homecoming. No
counter protestors were reported and thousands of
attendees wore Chief regalia. Although no Native
American organizations support the Chief, he was
celebrated lustily.
The same students and alumni that clamor for the Chief
as a symbol of Native American nobility, put far more
time and energy into a fictional chief than aiding
actual Native Americans. Students of Native American
descent are a mere 0.2% of the overall student
population, and 0.1% of the faculty. "Honoring" Native
Americans is confined to a white guy in buckskin pants
and feathers (only whites have portrayed the Chief
throughout it's 81-year history).
There was little said about the fact that while Chief
Illiniwek never existed, the Illini tribe did. They
were torn apart, forcibly removed so schools like
Illinois could take root. Chief Ron Froman of the
Peoria tribe once said of the Chief, "I don't think it
was to honor us, because, hell, they ran our (butts)
out of Illinois."
Since there is nothing honorable about resurrecting
the Chief, is it then an issue of freedom of speech?
In a letter to Chancellor Herman, professor Antonia
Darder wrote, "If a float maker wants to use KKK
imagery or a noose hanging from a tree on a homecoming
float, is this now also acceptable under the auspices
of 'free expression?' Or if a float maker wants to use
images of people copulating or nude participants on a
float, would this also be accepted as the freedom of
personal expression? And if not, why not? Certainly if
public nudity is considered immoral or at least
inappropriate, why not public racism?"
This is the climate in which Herman resurrects the
Chief. The latest in this marathon battle of memory,
history, and the role of sports in this process comes
two weeks after the death of Native American activist
and longtime leader of the American Indian Movement,
Vernon Bellecourt.
Bellecourt spent years as a thorn in the side of
organizations like the Washington Redskins and
Cleveland Indians, demanding that they change their
mascots. He once said, "Our detractors always say, 'We
are honoring you.' It's not an honor. In whose honor,
we have to ask. Beginning with the pilgrims at
Plymouth Rock, about 16 million of us were wiped out,
including whole villages in Washington."
To other teams with Indian nicknames and to their
fans, he said, "No more chicken feathers ... No more
paint on faces. The chop stops here."
Maybe the University of Illinois should honor
Bellecourt by putting Chief Illiniwek to rest -- for
good.

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