Chief Illiniwek Controversy

The University of Illinois Chief Illiniwek dates back to 1926, when Lester Leutwiler and Ralph Hubbard, combined their extensive knowledge of Indian lore and dance that they learned at the World Boy scout Jamboree in Denmark into the creation of "the Chief". Since then, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Chief starting in 1989 when Charlene Teters, a graduate student from the Spokane tribe began protesting the Chief at athletic events after her young son and daughter's reaction to the Chiefs dance at a basketball. Soon after this, individuals and organizations from outside of the University of Illinois began to support the elimination of the Chief. External organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Education Association, Amnesty International, the Modern Language Association, and Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas also took positions in favor of retiring the Chief.

In November 1989, the Illinois state legislature passed a resolution in support of the Chief. The Student Government Association (SGA) considered a resolution that would have encouraged the elimination of the Chief calling the halftime performance "discriminatory. "At that time a "Dial a Vote" promotion among the students resulted in a response of 2,002 voting to retain the Chief and 100 voting against. At the SGA meeting the resolution was watered down to ask the University to study the issue. At the time, both sides claimed victory. However, in March 1991, the SGA passed a resolution declaring the Chief Illiniwek performance discriminatory and calling for programs for its elimination and for an apology to Native Americans. After this event, student and alumni organizations such as the Honor the Chief Society and Chief Illiniwek Education foundation were created in order to preserve the tradition of Chief Illiniwek. At the University campus, the Native American house, the American Indian Studies program, and the Native American student organizations all called for the retirement of the Chief. The students in favor of retiring the Chief argued that the Chief misappropriates Native American culture and perpetuates harmful racial or ethnic stereotypes. They also argued that this obstructed the creation of a diverse and tolerant learning community, harmed the reputation of the University, and promoted an inaccurate image of Native Americans.

Those in support of the Chief claimed that he was a revered symbol representing not only a proud people but the great spirit of a great university. In 1995, a ruling by the United States Department of Education found that the Chief did not violated Native American students' civil rights and state legislature approved a bill making the Chief the "official symbol" of the University. This decision was not favored by the governor at the time, Jim Edgar, which allowed the decision to remain within the University.

In 1990, the Board of Trustees met regarding the Chief Illiniwek controversy due to continued anti-Chief demonstrations by student and organizations on campus. On October 11,1990, the Board heard from Charlene Teters, Faith Smith and a letter from Rev. Jesse Jackson offering arguments to abolish the Chief. Heard on behalf of the position to retain the Chief were former University trustee Jane Hayes Rader of the Illinois Alumni Association, former Chief Illiniwek, William D. Forsyth, Jr. and a letter form Donald White. At that time, a 6-1 majority of the Board passed the following motion made by Trustee Hahn: "The tradition of Chief Illiniwek is a rich one and has meaning for the students, alumni, and friends of the University of Illinois. For more than sixty years, the Chief has been the symbol of the spirit of a great university and of our intercollegiate athletic teams, and as such is loved by the people of Illinois. The University considers the symbol to be dignified and has treated it with respect. His ceremonial dance is done with grace and beauty. The Chief keeps the memory of the people of a great Native American tribe alive for thousands of Illinoisans who otherwise would know little or nothing of them. I feel that those who view the Chief as a "mascot" or a "caricature" just don't understand the Chief's true meaning to thousands of U of I students and alumni - he is the spirit of the Fighting Illini. The tradition of Chief Illiniwek is a positive one and I move he be retained. "

In 1993, the Native American Student, Staff and Faculty for Progress (NASSFP) was formed on the Urbana campus, in part, to protest the Chief. Members of the organization began filing complaints in 1994 with the U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Those complaints alleged that the presence of Chief Illiniwek and the use of the name "Fighting Illini" created a hostile learning environment for Native Americans resulting in discrimination by the University in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Further the complaints alleged that the University officials did not respond appropriately to the concerns of the complainants. The Office for Civil Rights investigated those complaints and conducted an independent survey of Native American students. Based on its entire investigation, it was reported to the University on November 30, 1995: "The alleged specific incidents of harassment, especially those of which the University had notice, were not proven to be sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive so as to establish a racially hostile environment. Most were isolated and not recent, having occurred between 1989 and 1992. Furthermore, there was insufficient corroborating evidence of most of these incidents. Although the Chief Illiniwek symbol, logo, and the name "Fighting Illini" are offensive to the complainants and others interviewed by OCR, "offensiveness," in and of itself, is not dispositive in assessing a racially hostile environment claim under Title VI, particularly in light of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."

In 1997, a documentary entitled "In Whose Honor?" appeared on PBS. This film was written and produced by Jay Rosenstein, a 1982 University of Illinois graduate and now professor in the University of Illinois Department of Journalism. This film had an anti-chief point of view and sparked up a lot of controversy around the issue of the Chief. In 1998, the Faculty-Student Senate passed a resolution by a vote of 97 to 29 calling for the end of the Chief. The pro-chief advocates argued that the voting was stacked and only 126 of the 250 member senate attended the voting session.

On January 13, 2000, the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois passed a resolution concerning the issue of the continuation of the Chief Illiniwek performances at its athletic events. The resolution acknowledged the existence of a controversy. Pursuant to this resolution, the board retained Louis B. Garippo, a former circuit court judge in Cook County, to assist in conducting a dialogue on Chief Illiniwek. The Special Intake Session on Chief Illiniwek was held in Foellinger Auditorium on the Urbana campus on April 14, 2000. Louis Garippo presided over the session, reviewed and compiled communications on the issue, and prepared a report to the board. Garippo's task was to convey respondents' opinions to the board, not to make a recommendation on the status of Chief Illiniwek.

In 2006, the University Board of Trustees opted to study the issue and passed a resolution calling for "a consensus conclusion to the matter of Chief Illiniwek." Many on both sides of the issue found this resolution problematic, given that former trustee Roger Plummer determined that a compromise on the issue was not possible. At that point, the Board of Trustees had not consulted on the matter with the faculty of the American Indian Studies Program. A non-binding student referendum on Chief Illiniwek was conducted in March 2004. Of the approximately one-third of the student body who cast ballots, 69% of the voters favored retention of the Chief. Faculty have tended to be critical of the Chief. Another non-binding student referendum on Chief Illiniwek was conducted in February 2008. Of the approximately 23% of the student body who cast ballots, 79% (7,718) voted to show support for Chief Illiniwek, while 21% (2,052) voted to not show support. In August 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the primary governing board for intercollegiate athletics, instituted a ban on schools that use what they call "hostile and abusive American Indian nicknames" from hosting postseason games, beginning in February 2006. Included in the ban along with 17 other colleges was the University of Illinois. This ban soon became larger to include Bowl Championship Series sponsored games starting in the 2006 season as well. This decision made by the NCAA was the final straw in ending the Chief Iliniwek's run at the University of Illinois.

On February 16, 2007, Lawrence Eppley, chair of the board of trustees issued a unilateral ruling retiring Chief Illiniwek. Chief Illiniwek's last performance, by the final Chief, Dan Maloney of Galesburg, Illinois, took place on February 21, 2007 at the last men's home basketball game of the 2006-2007 regular season against Michigan, in Assembly Hall which can be seen on the Video tab of this website. As at the time, Chief Illiniwek also performed at women's home basketball games, the first halftime performance without the portrayal of Chief Illiniwek was the following night, February 22, 2007, at the women's basketball game against Michigan State. On March 13, 2007, the University of Illinois board of trustees voted unanimously to retire Illiniwek's name, image and regalia.

In August of 2017, University Chancellor Robert Jones made the decision to ban the school's "War Chant", in response to critic claims that said the music stereotyped Native Americans and prolonged the divisive debate over Chief Illiniwek. ""Debating it was not going to do anything but kind of re-initiate a lot of the agony and the angst that have been a cancer that has been eating away at this university for more than a decade," Jones said of the closed-session ruling. Later in 2017, a protest interrupted the school's homecoming parade in response to the Unofficial chief marching with the Honor the Chief Society. The following morning, members of the Sioux nation hosted a traditional dance ceremony on campus bearing a banner reading "The Fighting Sioux Support the Fighting Illini". These performers were part of an organization known as NAGA (Native American Guardians Association). "...the idea is to educate, not eradicate, and the idea is to improve what you have but never give up the opportunity to teach about Native Americanism." said Andre Billeaudeaux, executive director of NAGA.

In conclusion, as one can see the Chief Illiniwek controversy has been an ongoing hot topic and will still be talked about after we leave this University. Whether you are pro or anti-chief, the only thing we can do is move forward and accept that the Chief will not be coming back. I do think that the amount of student involvement in this controversy was very humbling no matter what side you are on. Expressing your thoughts and opinions is one of our constitutional rights, and students need to know that their voices will be heard. In my opinion I feel that we should already have created another mascot for the University so that we can put this battle in the past. As to what the next mascot for the University of Illinois will be, that is up to you to decide!

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