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 Dakotareservation, where he stayed for a co
Such a tradition must be kept; the true tragedywould be its demise (18). com, Chief Illiniwek's dance is a type of Oglala-Lakota Sioux dancecalled Fancy dance, which is celebratory in nature, has no religious, war, or ceremonialsignificance. 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). Chief Frank Fools Crow was considered the greatest Native Americanspiritual leader of the nineteenth century. To us andmany others, the chief bespeaks courage, tenacity and endurance in the face of heavyodds. 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. "The power and the ways are given to us to be passed on to others. Does that constitute grounds for protest by Irish-Americans? Most of us simply regard the leprechaun as a fun-loving free spirit.
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