Chief Illiniwek
Imagine going to a University of Illinois sporting event and not seeing ChiefIlliniwek perform at half time. This may soon be the case. Many Native Americans feelthat the symbol of Chief Illiniwek portrays a racist stereotype, but because Chief Illiniwekrepresents the pride for athletics, as well as respect for the University of Illinois itself, heshould not be dismissed as mascot and swapped with some common, unoriginalreplacement. The dismissal of the chief would be an outrage. The tradition of Chief Illiniwek was started on October 30, 1926, during a footballgame against the University of Pennsylvania(Beckham 1). Also according to Beckham,Lester Leutweiler, who portrayed the first Chief Illiniwek, was chosen because he hadstudied Native American dance and leather work as a boy scout. Leutweiler made the firstChief Illiniwek custom and created the first dance(1). Of all the students that haveportrayed Chief Illiniwek, only one was a female. The second student who portrayedChief Illiniwek was Webber Borchers. Borchers was the first student who portrayed thechief to wear an authentic Native American outfit. He traveled to a South Dakota
No matter what the board does, it is not an issue that is going to goaway. Chief Illiniwek, though found to many as a racist stereotype of Native Americans,shows the pride and spirit of the University of Illinois. She was one of three Native American students recruited to the Universityof Illinois, to pursue her bachelor's in art, from the Art Institute of NativeAmericans("Sculpture" 1). "And why aren't theChristians upset with the New Orleans Saints or the Anaheim Angels"(McDermott 24)? Instead, a small minority can not stand it that popular culture, through athletic teams,embraces Native American symbols so dearly. Chief Frank Fools Crow was considered the greatest Native Americanspiritual leader of the nineteenth century. The authenticity of his costume and dance is beside the point; the universitycertainly is not ridiculing Indians. He is represented by a student who paints his face, wears acostume and headdress from the Oglala-Lakota Sioux tribe and dances at the half timeshows at varsity football and basketball games(McSherry Breslin 7). She did notsay in what year, but she took her two kids to a basketball game and during the half timeshow she noticed her kids slouch into their chair like they wanted to disappear. Although a great deal has been written about the controversy of using fake Indiansto get fans pumped up at football games, it took an entire book to give full vent to thesubject. Because a small fraction of a race does notlike a nickname or a mascot, that is not a good enough reason to retire it. During half time ceremony, Chief Fools Crowgave the University of Illinois the regalia that are currently worn by Chief Illiniwek(Welker1). Let's compare Chief Illiniwek with Notre Dame's symbolic Irishman. The board's decision tenyears ago to keep the American Indian chief as a revered symbol of Illinois' heritage didnot end pressure from groups on and off campus who consider the chief an outdated,racist caricature("Revisit" 2). Eisenberg states that to detractors, he is "MCHammer meets Richard Simmons," as Sports Illustrated put it(4).
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Acceptance Essays
