Totem Role

Bradley University has not used any Native American imagery since 1993, and has become known for having among the most generic logos in the nation since that time.

Comment by Daniel H. Fuertges — November 15, 2006 @ 6:30 am

First of all, David, we Illini are not resisting the elimination of Chief Illiniwek because “it’s always been that way”.

Illinois has only relied on the Chief to represent the spirit of The Fighting Illini for 80 years.

As for total rejection by the native American community, be advised that his present regalia and those before that were made by Indian tribes in Wyoming and the latest was presented to the athletic department by one of their chiefs at half-time during an Illinois football game.

We do not consider the Chief a MASCOTT.  He only makes his appearance for about ten minutes at half-time, does his performance, and retires to the dressing room.  No flaming spear, no horse, no demonstrations after scoring, no shopping center openings, and no taunting of the visitors fans, students or cheerleaders.  The Chief IS NOT A MASCOTT.

Again, the Chief is a SYMBOL of the spirit of The Fighting Illini.

If you had ever been to an Illinois athletic event (I know you haven’t because of your statements) you would not be able to find anything “abusive” toward Native American culture in the Chief’s apearance.

Look at the photo of the Chief accompanying your article.  Really ‘abusive’ isn’t it.

Perhaps more important than any of the above is the fact that the NCAA has moved into an area where it has no jurisdiction.  What will be next on their itinerary?  Change the name of the State?  I doubt that since they moved their headquarters to INDIANapolis, INDIANa.

God bless North Dakota and the Sioux and much success in their litigation!

Lou Mautz
U of I 1949

Comment by Lou Mautz from Crosby, TX — November 16, 2006 @ 3:09 am

The author states that, “the imagery of bare-chested, war whooping, arrow slinging Injuns still pervades on college campuses, and hardly anyone gives it a second thought.” As a University of Illinois alumnus who grew up near the university and still follows the athletic teams, I have never seen Chief Illiniwek bare chested.  Nor have I ever heard war whooping from the Chief or in response to the Chief.  The same for arrow slinging.  And imagining a college student from anytime in the past 50 years using the term “Injuns” is so ridiculous that it makes me wonder if the author’s entire concept of how American Indians are regarded was shaped by 80 year old cartoons.

Clearly, the author is concerned about this issue being “really, really bad manners”, “quite gauche”, and “bad form”.  Perhaps if he had written in a manner that showed some understanding of the role of these symbols at the universities and explained how he would like to see Amercian Indian cultures brought into education so that they are not “out of mind”, he could have done something positive.  But by using ridiculous scenarios that don’t represent reality and seeming to be concerned with this because he thinks it gauche, there is no credibility to this.

Comment by Brad Turner — November 16, 2006 @ 8:49 am