[Peace] Columbus Day Event

[Linda Evans]

A question was brought up at our last AWARE meeting
about any Columbus Day events.  Here is what PRC is
planning...

The Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative is pleased
to announce 
that anti-"Chief" movement founder, Charlene Teters,
will be the 
keynote speaker at this year's Anti-"Chief" Protest on
Columbus Day. 
This year's Anti-Columbus Day protest will be on
Friday, October 10th 
from 11:30a.m.-2:00p.m. at Henry Administration
Building on the 
University of Illinois campus.

Ms. Teters will be in Champaign to present her work at
a conference 
entitled, "After Whiteness: Race and the Visual Arts,"
at Levis 
Faculty Center on October 11th.

To participate in PRC's Anti-Columbus Day action
protesting "Chief 
Illiniwek," Ms. Teters will need to fly into Champaign
one day early. 
The PRC is seeking several supporters who would be
willing to make a 
small contribution to cover the costs of the hotel
room for Charlene. 
If you would be willing to make a small contribution
to help bring 
her to Champaign-Urbana, please contact the PRC at
prc at prairienet.org 
or call us at 217-352-8721. Or, you can make your
check out to PRC 
and mail it to:

PRC
c/o the Illinois Disciples Foundation
610 E. Springfield Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820

For more information about Charlene Teters, please
read her biography 
below. For more information about the PRC
Anti-Columbus Day protest 
of "Chief Illiniwek," or to volunteer, contact
prc at prairienet.org or 
217-352-8721.

Sincerely,
The PRC

BIOGRAPHY: Charlene Teters is a member of the Spokane
Nation. In 
1988, Teters was recruited to the University of
Illinois Art 
Department. When Teters and two other Native students
arrived in 
Champaign-Urbana, they found a community that was
permeated with 
degrading depictions of American Indian caricatures
because of the 
University's use of an "Indian chief" as it's sports
team mascot. 
Charlene actively campaigned to eliminate the racist
symbols after it 
became evident that her teenage children's self esteem
was undermined 
by these uses of these Indian images in the community.
Charlene later 
went on to work against other racist mascots
throughout the United 
States. Her story of challenging America's use of
Indians as mascots 
is the subject of a nationally aired and award winning
documentary, 
IN WHOSE HONOR? The film traces the Chief Illiniwek
controversy at 
the University of Illinois into a national movement
against Indian 
mascots in elementary schools to professional,
multi-billion dollar 
sports enterprises.


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"There are some things you need just to stay alive:  food, water, a place to live, clothes to keep warm, help when you are ill or injured... Peace is having the things you need."  (Peace Begins with You by Katherine Scholes, children's book)






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