First off, i would just like to say, where did the University of Illinois come from in the Big Ten race? Suddenly the Illini have won 6 of 7 and are in third place, behind Wisconsin and OSU, in the Big Ten. What happened? This team has been playing poorly all year, but they somehow manage to be in third place with only a game to play. Not only have they been playing poorly, they just lost one of the best shooters in the league to jail. Jamar Smith is from my hometown, I watched him play in high school. I always liked him, even when his team crushed ours time and again. When he went off to college, I figured he would do well at the U of I, with everything going for him. The Illini were coming off an appearance in the National Title game, Bruce Weber could do no wrong and the Illini were certainly Flyin' high. Then everything fell apart. Weber can't recruit suddenly, Dee Brown is gone, and the team has no identity. Suddenly, they loose the man who is supposed to be one of their best players for the season, and they start playing better? Obviously other factors effected this change, but how does that happen. Jamar had not been playing much before his DUI, and the team had not turned it around. How many other teams have been able to overcome one of their best players being on the bench to play better and, hopefully, finish higher up in the standings. Off the top of my head, I can't think of one. Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers after Kirk Gibson went down, but that was a different set of circumstances. I just hope the Illini can pull out a miracle and make a run during the Tournament.
Now, continuing with the Illini, Chief Illiniwek performed for the last time on Wednesday night when U of I played Michigan. I'm sure that many of you have no idea who Chief Illiniwek is. Literally, he is a student at the University who performs a traditional Indian war dance at halftime of every U of I football, basketball and women's volleyball game. Now, this student is, normally, of Native American descent and spends several weeks in the summer with the Sioux Indian tribe learning of their culture and the actualy dance before he is deemed "acceptable" and is allowed to don the traditional Indian war crest and ful regalia. The "costume" for the chief was donated to the University by the Sioux tribe many years ago. The chief has been around since 1926, but has been deemed "hostile and abusive" by the NCAA. Therefore, after more than 80 years, the Chief hung up his headdress for the last time on Wednesday night. I got chills watching him perform, and I know other people did.
My entire issue with the NCAA is that the Chief is not, in fact, a mascot. The Chief is a symbol of the fighting spirt of the Illini tribe, as evidenced by the University nickname. Florida State gets away with Chief Osceola because the Seminole tribe granted their permission for the Seminoles to continue using their name. The problem for Chief Illiniwek was that the Illini tribe was completely wiped out by the government in the 19th century. So, no living Illini can okay the use of Chief Illiniwek as a symbol. However, the chief is never seen outside of his performance at halftime. He does not attempt to pump up the crowd during the game like a mascot does. There is a huge difference between the chief and Willie the Wildcat.
Part of my issue is with the Univesity of Illinois. They had so many oppurtunities to rectify this situation. They could have done something as simple as establishing a scholarship, to be awarded whenever needed, to a member of the Sioux tribe so the Chief would be authentic and would be looked upon as an embodiment of the spirit of Native Americans throughout the land. For a university that makes millions, how much would that honestly have cost them to award a four year scholarship to a Native American? The answer: less than the legal battle with the NCAA has cost them thus far.
The Chief was a symbol for the Univesity of Illinois. To me, he was the symbol for the University. I lived in Champaign, and everyone I talked to loved watching the Chief perform. That was almost ten years ago, so how reliable are the memories of an eight year old. I just remember sitting around the lunch table and talking about how incredibly cool the chief was, over some twinkies and chocolate milk. I am pro-chief, but i can see how the other side feels. Perhaps the chief is "hostile and abusive" but I do not feel so. I will miss the Chief. May he rest in peace.
Hail to the Chief,
Brett
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2 comments:
I hear what you're saying, I think the same thing whenever people criticize Chief Wahoo and the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland's pro baseball team was named the Indians to honor star player Louis Sockalexis, a phenomenal athlete who played for the Indians (actually called the Spiders when he played for them)from 1897-1899 and was so popular that fans named the franchise over him. Today people are incensed and how racially insensitive the name is, when the name was created to honor and celebrate the acheivements of a distinguished Native American. The argument against the Cheif Wahoo logo is slightly stronger, since the logo (a face of a Native with bright red skin and a dopey smile) is a somewhat stereotypical depiction of an Indian. But at the same time its merely a symbol to represent ideals, and none of the ideals it has come to symbolize are anything less than the best of sport: the courage and spirit that a great Indian once showed.
I have to admit when I first heard the Illini were no longer going to have Chief Illiniwek perform I thought it was no big deal. Then I saw those fans crying at his last performance and thought to myself they are way to emotional for such a small thing. After reading your post, however, I now know the whole story behind the chief and am disappointed that he no longer is a part of the university. Based on your account, the university treated the symbol of the chief with great respect.
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