Thursday, November 13, 2003

The Fate of Chief Illiniwek I was surprised to learn a few years back that so many of the '58s attended the U of I at Champaign-Urbana. I did too, but I don't recall seeing many of those folks at the time. If you attended sporting events in that era, you may remember Chief Illiniwek, the University mascot who appeared at half-time, dressed in full Plains Indian regalia, and danced his wild way the length of the field or court, with the crowd madly cheering. Many decades later, some parties at the U now believe that the Chief is racially offensive and ought to be abolished. (The student who plays the role is often non-Indian, having learned the dancing as an Eagle Scout.) The controversy has raged for years, prompting discussion which the University has turned into a dialogue on race, sports, and history. Matters came to a head this fall when a Trustee offered a resolution to retire the Chief forever. Today she suddenly withdrew the resolution, promising to fight again another day. This dispute has left the chancellor, Nancy Cantor, in tears and the University community quite divided. You may read about today's events in the Daily Illini. It may seem a trivial issue to stir so much fuss, but it also suggests how much the subject of race still divides Americans. What do you think? Should the Chief stay or go? 11:47:18 PM    comment []

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