Reader Kenneth D. Love’s March 7 letter “Time to retire Chief Illiniwek” awakens the fight over the existence of Chief Illiniwek and the maintenance of Indian mascots for sports teams and universities.
Mascots are generally presumed to be caricatures. Their purpose is not to give the fans a history or sociology lesson–it is entertainment. Some say the Chief’s dance is inappropriate because it depicts a religious dance for the amusement of the crowd. I would say then that the Indians of Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska who regularly perform religious dances for tourists should be forced to cease.
The Chief’s dance is also considered racist because the Chief is a white man and should not be allowed to perform as a Native American. Does this mean that all actors should be put out of business because they portray people other than themselves?
Who were the Illini? They were a confederation of plains Indians made up primarily of the Peoria, Cahokia, Kaskaskia and other small tribes in what is now Illinois. They no longer exist because of the campaign against them by the Great Lakes tribes in 1769. The last of the Illini were exterminated at what is now called Starved Rock by the Ottawa, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Chippewa, Fox, Sac and others, as recounted in “Gateway to Empire,” by Allan Eckert.
I have heard Native Americans speak passionately of the disgrace they feel because of how the Illini are portrayed I find it ironic that they are the descendants of tribes that eliminated the Illini.
