Chief Illiniwek: Last DanceOn Feb 21, the U of Illinois men's basketball team plays its final home game of the season. At half-time, Chief Illiniwek will dance for the last time. He arrived in 1926 and now goes into retirement, thanks to an NCAA ruling that bars the use of mascots or insignia seen as "abusive" of racial or ethnic minorities.
The real issue is money, because if the Chief stays, the U of I will not be eligible to host post-season NCAA championship events. Think of the ESPN revenues slipping away!
Many folks are sad or angry about this change. Since the controversy is over symbols and traditions, it will not soon fade away. A little history may provide some perspective.
The ancient Illini or Illiniwek were a confederacy of six Native tribes along the upper Mississippi River valley. In the early 1700s many moved west, pushed by the arrival of Iroquois and Europeans. Federal Indian Removal in the 1830s moved the rest out. Today the few remaining descendants of Illini live in Oklahoma, as the Peoria Tribe.
Over the years, dancers who portrayed Chief Illiniwek were often white, but also trained in the traditions of Native dance and costume. The regalia is Lakota Sioux, presented in 1983 by Frank Fools Crow, a nephew of Black Elk.
Advocates see the Chief as a celebrant of the Native traditions of Illinois, while critics see him as a misuse of sacred symbols and rituals. The Peoria tribe at first supported the advocates but then recanted and joined the critics. They won their case, and thus the Chief will go.
In his last dance, he will perform the "3 in 1" that for 80 years has been the halftime show at football and basketball games. You may read more, and see a film of the dancing, in this story in a New York Times blog.
Final irony: the book that launched the modern revival of Native American pride is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970), written by Dee Brown, who at the time was a professor and librarian at the University of Illinois.
Update: Bill Ice sent me the picture above, taken on Feb 21 at the Chief's last dance.
9 comments:
What a SAD day for the U. of I. and all loyal Illini. It is crock that the spineless Admin. caved in and that the liberal "do-gooders" won out in this case. Why does FSU still get to keep its mascot and school nickname of "Seminoles"? Guess the NCAA might just have some double standards, and/or the Seminoles are not offended but proud of their tradition being honored? Yes, I am very upset and disappointed. Hail to the Chief!! We still love you and always will be proud of our Fighting Illini!
Tom Downs
MUST agree with Tom! Many happy hours with the Chief! Thanks for the links, Will, to great memories via UTube!
Lee
Will, thanks for the interesting story behind the Chief. I hadn't realized the authenticity of the costume, dance, etc., nor that the Indians themselves had approved of him. Now I'm angrier than ever. Maybe people who have gambling addiction should picket Indian casinos, or smokers and former smokers picket their tobacco stores. I just find it difficult to believe that Indians are that offended by an Indian mascot,who isn't in a cartoonish costume that makes fun of Indians.
Barbara
Real interesting perspective on the whole episode. Thanks for sharing.
The Illini were a combination of 5 tribes. Unfortunately none remain to fight for the Chief to the NCAA.
Florida State gets to keep the Seminole nickname because the tribe went to bat for them. I think they gave FSU a licience to use the name.
Our son is a sports writer for The Morning Call. Go to their web site and type in Jay Hart to get his column on the subject.
Ann Tobin Hart
Ann,
I use Wikipedia as my fact source. According to its article on the Illini:
"The Illiniwek (also known as the Illini, Illinois, Illinois Confederacy) were a group of six Native American tribes in the upper Mississippi River valley of North America. The tribes were the Kaskaskia, the Cahokia, the Peoria, the Tamaroa, Moingwena and the Michigamea."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiniwek
Thanks for telling us about Jay's column. Here's the link, folks:
http://www.mcall.com/sports/columnists/all-hartcolumnfeb21,0,6752940.column?coll=all-randomcolumnistssport-misc
Will
PS: next time you visit Jay, come a little farther to Princeton!
The Chief was the victim of a group of College and University officials who probably never saw the Chief perform but nevertheless viewed the pagentry as "hostile" and "abusive"--a great example of how a few can get their way under the guise of political correctness. My question is,"whose politics and whose correctness"?
Champ Davis
The next thing that will happen is the PETA folks will want to ban the mascots of such schools as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State, and so on!
The thought police strike again...
While doing doctoral work at U of I in 1981-82 I had the opportunity to talk with the then-Chief Illiniwek. He straightened me out on one point: the Chief was NOT a "mascot," but an Indian symbol, a major difference. Also, in order for one to become Chief, he had to be an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow. Definitely more than a cheerleader -- and any time the alumni association asks for money I can think of several appropriate responses...
--Allan Stephens
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