Chief Illiniwek

My interest and participation in the Chief Illiniwek debate is in some respects peripheral, especially since no one in my family is an alumnus from the University of Illinois (thank goodness!). However, my interest was piqued several years ago by a series of Eric Zorn columns in the Chicago Tribune. It was formerly my understanding that the Chief was an accurate depiction of a locally significant native american tribe which gave due respect to the state's historic inhabitants. Thanks to Mr. Zorn and his extensive research staff, I have come to learn that the Illini were not one tribe, but a group of tribes, none of which were particularly aggressive and who definitely were not good at fighting (reportedly, they lost every battle they ever fought with their more aggressive neighbors on the Great Plains). Moreover, the gear worn by the Chief during his performance is contributed to the University by a tribe that is not even native to Illinois. Consequently, my opinion about the use of Chief Illiniwek has come around to be against its continuation. While Chief Illiniwek is arguably more accurate than Chief Wahoo (Indians) or the generic logo of the Washington Redskins, it still amounts to an idealized characterization based on a stereotype.

This issue has returned to the news this week as a result of the University filing a second appeal of the NCAA's decision to ban the University of Illinois from hosting any postseason events so long as the Chief is continued to be used. It is interesting to note that the arguments the University has presented in its second appeal appear to have abandoned any attempt to justify the use of the mascot or buffet the school's relationship with some native tribe. Rather, the appeal targets the underlying authority of the NCAA to regulate this matter. From a legal perspective, this would be considered a facial challenge, where the first appeal was a challenge to how the rule was applied. In essence, the University is now trying to have the entire rule thrown out so it cannot be applied to any school - no matter how reasonable it may be in certain cases.

Quite frankly, I think the best thing that can happen to the University's Board of Regents is for the NCAA to deny this appeal too. This allows the Board to save face by diligently pursuing appeal after appeal, and then complying with a reasonable fall back position that they have been "compelled" to do. No one likes the NCAA anyway, so it doesn't matter that the a good portion of the State of Illinois holds a grudge against it too.

It is time for the University to finally be intellectually honest and consistent with its educational mission. No more would the University continue to teach a class premised on half truths and rumor than it should continue to mislead the students, alumni and citizens of this State by propogating a false stereotype of the ancestral residents of this part of the world.