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Harjo: Nothing honorable about 'Chief Illiniwek'
Friday, February 23, 2007
Filed Under: Education | Opinion

"The Chief was a halftime performance character portrayed by a white student in red face. The barefooted chief did turns and leaps in a buckskin costume and a garish headdress of orange, red, black and white feathers.

Chief performers, past and present, banded together in a 'Council of Chiefs.'' Two enactors wrapped themselves in the First Amendment the way they'd so often donned their Chief costume and went to court for their ''right'' to play 'Indian.'

They asked a state judge to save their careers as the Chief - claiming that UIUC was violating their free speech, freedom of assembly and academic freedom - but the judge denied their request.

Usually a source of fascination and amusement, this mascot worship stopped being funny when it turned into Chief hysteria.

To all those fans that are weeping and wailing over the Chief, I can only say one thing: Get a grip!

Pull yourselves together and go learn something about real Native people. Not any sports symbol; not a cartoon version of a historical Indian figure; not the Indian butter maiden; and not an Indian in a cupboard."

Get the Story:
Suzan Shown Harjo: Illiniwek fans missed the Indians for the 'Chief' (Indian Country Today 2/23)

NCAA Update:
Status of Indian Mascot Policy (April 28, 2006)

NCAA Executive Committee Decision:
Native American Mascot Appeals Decisions (April 28, 2006)

NCAA Policy on Indian Mascots:
NCAA Executive Committee Issues Guidelines for Use of Native American Mascots at Championship Events (August 5, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Chief Illiniwek, University of Illinois - http://www.uiuc.edu/dialogue/index.html
Retire the Chief - http://www.retirethechief.org

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