Chief Illiniwek will not die
Perhaps the most amusing thing about the left-for-dead Chief Illiniwek is just how personally his supporters took the Chief’s criticism. It was an irrational thing, this vehement defense of a silly old tradition, one based in cultural stereotypes and re-enacted by the white descendants of former oppressors. Even if not blatantly racist — and I don’t think most Illini fans are racists — the symbol was incredibly insensitive by any reasonable standard. And after all, the Chief isn’t a real person. It’s some college dude in a makeshift headdress, some uber-cheerleader with a penchant for Indian rituals. With all due respect to the people of Illini Nation, getting so worked up about Illiniwek was fucking stupid.
But after all that stupid, irrational debate, all the excuses from defenders about “tradition” and “pride” and whatever else, the Chief was dead. A few people shed some tears, Illinois switched to a regular old I, and the mascot left the building. Story over, right?
Wrong. (Insert Charlie Murphy voice.) Wrong. See, the people who love Chief Illiniwek — they’re habitual line-steppers. And they’ve done it again:
A lot of Chief apparel is seen on campus and at Memorial Stadium or Assembly Hall on game days,” Hardy wrote. “At halftime when the Marching Illini perform the three-in-one medley [of school songs], fans offer a rousing ‘Chief!’ cheer at the conclusion, as if they have just witnessed the Chief dance.”
There was also a flurry of indignation and counter-indignation in October when the university, citing students’ rights to free expression, allowed Illiniwek imagery to appear in the school’s homecoming parade.
Paul Schmitt, the U. of I. junior who heads up Students for Chief Illiniwek, told me not to be fooled by the lack of protests or Web activism.
“We’ve been trying to stay under the radar,” he said. “We’re getting ready for our big push.”
Nearly 100 supporters attend meetings, Schmitt said, and they’re planning to use “the element of surprise” in upcoming efforts (about which he would not be specific) to “bring back the Chief and restore his legacy as one of honor, not shame.”
{Alumni Ron Huddleston] said his group has come to believe that pressuring U. of I. administrators is ineffective, and that the best strategy will be to work to change state law so that university trustees will be elected rather than politically appointed. […]
“This is not just bluster, not just rah-rah,” he said. “People think we’ll get over it and go away. But we’re not over it, and we’re not going away.”
Yes, you read my bold emphasis right: These people want to change state law so they can push Illiniwek-approving trustees to a general, Illiniwek-loving population. Nevermind the years of tradition behind the appointment of such trustees; it appears Illiniwek-backers care only for tradition when it suits their weird, ass-backwards love affair with their even weirder mascot.
Come to think of it, why are we even talking about this? Illiniwek’s dead, damnit! Dead! Let him die! Like the Soulja Boy, some things ought not to be defiled in perpetuity.
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Illiniwek is going to do the Soulja Boy at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
OK, so I’d be cool with a one-time unretirement if I was guaranteed an Illiniwek Soulja Boy.
Fuck Chief Illiniwek and Illinois! They are gonna get killed in the Rose Bowl! My prediction USC 62 Illinois 3. Thus shutting up every Illinois fan there is. They finally had a good season, to bad it’s gonna be the last. Have fun watching your shitty as football team at the shitty as station bar/shit hole club. Champaign is the worst campus town in the world.
The Chief was the lamest gameday tradition outside of West Lafayette. It’s amazing that the demise of an Indian minstrel show by a goofy white boy in buckskins has aroused such passion. As a compromise, maybe Kelvin Sampson and Eric Gordon can dance at midcourt after they win there this year.
Yes, John, yes … your hate … it makes me … stronger! Such strength! Yes!
/rips shirt off, throws computer monitor at U of I alum roommate
“Makeshift” headdress? If you had actually done some research before you shot your mouth off, you’d know that the outfit the Chief used to wear was in fact given to the University by the same Indian tribe that decided it was an insensitive practice after decades of no complaints.
FINALLY, some commenting. And, for posterity’s sake, fuck Illinois, their racist mascot and this whole debate.
Jay, the current costume was in fact sold to the University in 1982, not given. Perhaps if you’d done your research, you’d know that. And, more importantly, it’s SIOUX. The Peoria Indian Tribe is against the usage of the chief, and seeing as how they’re the closest living relatives of the Illiniwek tribe, they’re opinion is the one that matters. But, like I said, if you’d done your research, you’d know that.
THE CHIEF RULES!! GO ILLINI!
Good Game Illinois! I thought they really had a shot at winning, man they are awful! On the positive side though, they did set a Rose Bowl record. The D gave up the most yards in Rose Bowl history, 657 yards. Way to go Illini, good luck going .500 next year. What a fluke season this was.
I don’t understand how this dance is offensive! It’s meant to perpetuate the history and tradition of the school. The “Chiefs” never danced around goofy-eyed acting like idiots. It was all in good nature. I’m starting to think your hateful attitude towards U of I is the result of the rejection you must have received several years ago.
Yes, the suit was sold, but it was Native American-made. If you actually read the real information and not that spread by the aclu, you’ll find that the descendants of the illiniwek tribe actually did support the mascot while the distant relatives got a little cranky. And if you’re going to spout about how offensive U of I is, the least you could do is use the correct terminology. Native Americans are not indians. That was some misconception set up years ago by some “white boy” with a large ego not knowing where the hell he was.