A late goodbye, and good riddance
We didn’t get to this earlier, thanks to both of us being continually swamped, but since I’ve broken free of responsibility for a couple of hours today, it’s time.
That mascot of all mascots, Chief Illiniwek, made his final farewell yesterday. The best thing I’ve seen written about the topic, and in short form too, was this missive from Page 2’s Bomani Jones:
Wednesday night’s game between Illinois and Michigan at Assembly Hall in Champaign will be emotional for some. Halftime will be the last time that Chief Illiniwek will dance as the the Fighting Illini’s official mascot.
Dan Mahoney, who portrays Chief Illiniwek, believes “[Tonight] is going to be very tough for a lot of people.”
Ahhh, but those people should keep their eyes on the bright side — at last, Illinois will move into the 21st century!
If Mahoney only knew how wonderful things are in the present. Does he know that in the 21st century, people are able to connect to the Internet without having to plug cords into their computers? Shoot, pretty soon cars might even pop up on campus that use gas and electricity and get about 60 miles to the gallon!
Save the arguments that Illiniwek was intended to honor the state of Illinois’ Native American heritage for someone dumb enough to believe them. As Ron Froman, the former chief of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (the closest living descendents of the Illiniwek Confederacy), said, “I don’t think [Chief Illiniwek] was intended to support us, because, they ran [us] out of Illinois.”
We all know the deal here. Plenty of people - especially alumni, whose sense of nostalgia is often the only thing keeping them moving through their dreary lives - bemoan the “politically correct” discourse that says the Chief is offensive. They prefer their fond memories, the warm winter treks to Assembly Hall and the swaying and shoulder-grabbing of the Chief’s halftime routine to the thoughts of insensitivity inherent in the practice. These are, of course, the same people that silently agreed with Tim Hardaway.
But guess what, Illinois students: you have no excuse. You’ve had less formative experience on this Earth, and what’s more, you’ve been born in a time that roundly rejects racism (externally, at least). Tradition or not, the Chief’s halftime show is essentially a minstrel routine, the performer trading blackface and softshoe for feathers and moccasins. You are young, educated, and presumably enlightened. How could you not be opposed to this? How could you not, at the very least, recognize the silliness of your brethren’s desperate, clingy attachments? How could you not at least be apathetic?
How could one of you respond to a roommate’s AIM away message wishing sarcastic farewell to the Chief by responding “It’s not funny. Fuck you”?
How can you say things like this to the Chicago Tribune: “To have him gone is like losing a family member,” said Jen Suerth, a graduate student, who was crying and shaking as she lined up courtside with other students. “It will never be the same again.”
How can you embarrass yourself on national television by crying about a stupid, silly mascot, by donning funeral black for an entire half of basketball? What’s your excuse?
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PostmanE-
100% in agreement with you. I just had to chuckle at some of the quotes I read from “distraught” students at U of I today. I wonder if the students will be locking themselves in this weekend to properly mourn the loss of the Chief? I know black is the only color I’ll be wearing to Sports this weekend.
What’s more offensive: The Chief, or douchebags who paint their bodies, wear a head dress with no shirt and tuck their cell phones into their mesh shorts?
I think even the Natives could agree on the latter.
Gotta agree with you as an alum who has lived all over the US. When asked where I go went to school, you have to then explain the whole stupid Chief thing and how you are kind of embarassed about it.
How much money was wasted on lawyers fighting this thing? How much time was wasted by the Board of Trustees on this topic? Yes, welcome to the 21st centruy.
the decision had to be made, and it was the right one, but the reason people are upset about it, the reason it is opposed is because it is a tradition. i go to u of i, i never cared about the chief until i got here, i know its offensive and i know it had to go, but i still wish it could stay. its not the chief specifically, its that our tradition is gone and it wasn’t our choice. i might be sounding ignorant here. i guess you’d just have to try to imagine if the hoosiers was taken from indiana, even if you knew it was right, there would still be a part of you that wished it could stay. i don’t know if i’m explaining this well, i guess the point is just that change sucks, nobody likes it, especially forced change. it was the right decision, it had to be done, it just sucks that it was offensive in the first place because i would love to have my traditions alway be there, but it was a representation of someone elses culture and it was wrong for us to have it. i know the situation seems simple from the outside but its hard not to feel connected to it all. anyway i know i probably sound like a bigot and i know i said sucks a lot, but it all made sense in my head.
GK:
You don’t sound like a bigot at all. I can completely understand your stance - you understand the reasons the thing had to go (no reason to list them again), but a part of you is sad because it’s a tradition that has become and important part of your experience at Illinois. I can appreciate that, believe me.
What makes me angry, or at least slightly irritated, are the people who acted like Illinois athletics would never be the same without the Chief. What’s even worse, many of those same people turned a blind eye to the culturally insensitive aspects of the Chief simply because it was important to them. Instead, they claimed it was a “symbol” meant to “honor” the fighting spirit of the very same tribes their ancestors threw out of the state years ago. That ignorance - oftentimes intentional - is what makes me angry. And the groups of girls crying on TV last night, calling their parents to lament the loss of their cherished symbol? Come on.
On the other hand, I can completely respect your position. And no, I don’t think you sound bigoted in the least.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Just one more reason why University of Illinois sucks!
If the Redskins were forced to change their logo, mascot and name (which I understand is a bit more extreme than what happened to the Illini), I’d probably be 10x more distraught then these poor kids.
University of Illinois should have said ” we’re keeping the mascot, and if you are offended TFB”. I personally think the Washington Redskins should never change their name either. I also say PHUC PC.
I know that the Seminole tribe gives its support to the Seminole (I’d love to know what kind of deal they have behind the scenes), but does that truely make it ok? Illinois doesn’t have the opportunity to be “supported” by the Illini tribe because, well, they’ve been dead for over 200 years. I found this quote to be particularly good about this issue:
“Can you see why some might be put off by thousands of white people doing the tomahawk chop and yelling, “Scalp ‘em!” when their team is trying to win a game? And just because Seminole tribal leaders say it’s OK, should it make it OK with every Native American?”
So, my point is if you want Illinois students to answer your “What’s your excuse” question, then extend that question to the students and Florida State. And to the students at Utah…and anywhere else where students support the Indian name and mascot.
I understand why people wanted Illiniwek gone, but be consistent and get rid of them all. That’s my main problem with this whole issue. Not the fact that the Chief is gone, but the fact that the Seminole can still ride his horse onto the field and throw a flaming spear into the ground…and because a few Native Americans support it, people just turn a blind eye to it.
and while were at it, lets get rid of that gay little leprechaun at notre dame too. as someone of irish heritage, i take offense to the fact that notre dame disgraces my heritage by having a mascot that represents not being able to win a big game or stop the run
Jason:
Agreed. I don’t think Florida State or the Redskins or Utah or wherever else has a free pass. Their students should be accountable too.
So yeah, you’re right. Still no excuse, though. The “everybody else is doing it” routine usually stops flying after, like, junior high.
–I know that the Seminole tribe gives its support to the Seminole …, but does that truely make it ok?–
Yes, it does. Look, if the issue is that using the name offends someone, then it’s pretty important who’s being offended. If the actual Florida Seminole tribe isn’t offended, then what the hell do I care what a bunch of white people think might cause offense to the Florida Seminole tribe? Should the Florida Seminole tribe’s desires be cast aside merely because some white people think the mascot *should* be offensive to them?
–Illinois doesn’t have the opportunity to be “supported” by the Illini tribe because, well, they’ve been dead for over 200 years.–
They have? I’m sure that will be a surprise to their descendants, who are now called the Peoria Tribe of Indians. (You might be confused because the tribe was actually called the Illiniwek.)
–I found this quote to be particularly good about this issue:
“Can you see why some might be put off by thousands of white people doing the tomahawk chop and yelling, “Scalp ‘em!” when their team is trying to win a game?–
This is where it gets confusing. I, personally, think a team called … oh, let’s pick a random example, say, … the Cowboys. Or the Texans. Those might be complimentary to cowboys and Texans. Cowboys and Texans might be more inclined to cheer for teams that bear their name.
Need some more examples of mascots that are existing groups, but apparently don’t cause offense? OK, how about the Yankees, Knicks, Celtics, Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers, Sooners, Twins, Royals, Rangers, Mariners, Phillies, Mets, Astros, Brewers, Pirates, and Padres? Just off the top of my head. And yet none of those seem to give offense to the groups being referred to. Hmmmm.
Because teams don’t choose their mascots based on what they think is gay or stupid. They choose mascots that they think are noble and dignified and intimidating and cool.
So it’s certainly possible that some people will be offended. But the name isn’t intended to cause offense.
–And just because Seminole tribal leaders say it’s OK, should it make it OK with every Native American?”–
And just because a few Native Americans are offended by it, does that make it not ok for every Native American? When did we get such thin skin that it’s now considered “offensive” to do anything that might cause offense, even if it doesn’t?
Look, I didn’t go to Illinois. I think their mascot is stupid, and I’m glad to see it go for that reason. But this politically correct BS — wherein we imagine that this stuff *must* be offensive to someone — is ridiculous.
The dignity, honor, courage spirituality, and fierce independence of the Native Americans tribes 120+ years ago is difficult to find in the “fort Indians” of today who whine about hurt ‘feelings” while feeding at the white mans trogh.So what good is it to worry about the trappings of that historic culture today such as their dances and dress when the real substance died a long time ago.
“So it’s certainly possible that some people will be offended. But the name isn’t intended to cause offense.”
The Commish is right. I mean, our entire society cares more about intent than it does about outcomes. I mean, that’s how we’ve set up our system of law.
God bless internet anonymity. I find it hard to believe any of you has a valid claim of being offended by Chief Illiniwek other than some artificial moral high ground. The author bemoans those whose “sense of nostalgia is often the only thing keeping them moving through their dreary lives,” yet by the content of this article and the likeminded, depressed individuals to whom the article probably caters, it’s very apparent that what the author uses move through his own dreary life are some atrocious presumptions on the role of Native American culture in the 21st Century and a penchant for completely missing the point. Sure, the removal of the Chief as Illinois mascot should not generate more than mild disappointment among U of I alumni. Ron Froman’s stance on the matter, as ambiguous (and irrelevant, really) as it is, does not justify such sweeping generalizations about the lack of respect Chief fans have for the Illini as a former social group. And equating the Chief’s dance to some prohibition-era blackface routine is, well, asinine. But hey, that’s what blogs are for.