The debate surrounding the chief has been around since the very beginning of the Chief’s creation. On both sides of the debate their has been groups and organizations created to support their beliefs and their has been protests and events that demonstrate their beliefs. The best method to understand how each side feels is to know what actions are performed to express their beliefs.
Anti-Chief
The people who disapprove of the Chief’s existence and the calls to bring him back as the University mascot belief that the Chief does not represent Honor and Bravery like his supporters claim he does, but rather he represents racism and cultural appropriation because he is a mascot that is based on an entire race. The belief is when you portray a race as a mascot you are displaying the belief that the race is not as important as other races. The most typical type of mascot is those that represent animals and if you create a mascot that represents a race it shows the underlaying belief that the race is only as important as an animal. .
There has been many Anti-Chief movements that have helped to eliminate the Chief as the Illinois mascot. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s leading up to the removal of the chief there was many peaceful protests by Native American students and people who support them. Many of these protests were covered by the media and the ones that made the most noise also made into documentaries. .
In 2007, after the NCAA decision to ban schools with Native American imagery from hosting post season events, the University of Illinois retired Chief Illiniwek as the mascot. Since 2007 there has still been an unofficial presence of the chief around the Illinois campus and in the most recent 2017 homecoming parade Anti-Chief protesters blocked the parade in an attempt to force the university to do something about the presence of the chief. .
Pro-Chief
Those who support the Chief as the Universities mascot believe that he represents honor and bravery and only displays respect for the Native Americans. During the late 1900s and early 2000s many organizations were formed to support the chief before it was removed as the universities mascot. .
The most recent group is the “Students for the Chief” organization that Is an active supporter of the Chief and is a group that is trying to have the Chief return as the universities mascot. This group selects an “unofficial Chief” to represent the organization, this unofficial Chief makes appearances at athletic events in the crowds during the Illini chants. The unofficial Chief made his most recent appearance at a home basketball game in February which caused the controversy over the Chief to ignite once again throughout the media. .
There has been many Anti-Chief movements that have helped to eliminate the Chief as the Illinois mascot. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s leading up to the removal of the chief there was many peaceful protests by Native American students and people who support them. Many of these protests were covered by the media and the ones that made the most noise also made into documentaries. .In 2007, after the NCAA decision to ban schools with Native American imagery from hosting post season events, the University of Illinois retired Chief Illiniwek as the mascot. Since 2007 there has still been an unofficial presence of the chief around the Illinois campus and in the most recent 2017 homecoming parade Anti-Chief protesters blocked the parade in an attempt to force the university to do something about the presence of the chief. .
The most recent group is the “Students for the Chief” organization that Is an active supporter of the Chief and is a group that is trying to have the Chief return as the universities mascot. This group selects an “unofficial Chief” to represent the organization, this unofficial Chief makes appearances at athletic events in the crowds during the Illini chants. The unofficial Chief made his most recent appearance at a home basketball game in February which caused the controversy over the Chief to ignite once again throughout the media. .