Anti-Chief people need to look at themselves

Jason:

Here is a good rule of thumb: If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything.
Have your advisor proof read this stuff before emailing it to the Daily Illini.

People will Google your name in the future and the first thing they will find are your rantings about the Chief, Limbaugh and Nancy Pelosi. This will NOT help you get a job in transportation.

My advice:
1. Lay off the letters to editors. Most DI readers have their minds made up. They are either anti-Chief, pro-Chief, or don't care. The majority don't care.
2. Don't start flame wars with activist groups. You can't win.
3. Take a deep breath and focus on what you came here for: Your education.
4. Stop writing stuff that will obviously hurt your career in the future.

A Friend.

So where's the DI story on the Next Dance and the huge protest that was organized by the IResist Coalition? We saw at least one photographer, and a DI reporter getting interviews. Same was true for the News Gazette. What's up?

If you're like me and of European descent, what right do you have to say that the mascot is racist or not? We aren't of Native American descent so how can we determine if the mascot is offensive to them or not?

This is really isn't our fight to fight. How do we know what they feel on the inside (besides from what they tell us, which is that they are offended).

When I was not sure about what to think of this issue, a wise high school teacher of mine once told me to think about the Middle East--they solve their diversity issues over there with suicide bombers and machine guns. So I think that we're rather lucky with the situation that we're in. I mean, I'd rather lose a mascot than my life.

Here's some of the Indian culture that Jason thinks is nonexistent:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=326298&src=5

Opening eyes to Native American culture, heritage at Elgin museum

Motsinger claims "little or nothing" is left of Indians in Illinois. That's his justification for "educating" people with a stereotypical chief who falsely represents a Plains culture in another state. Good thinking, Junior...I can see why you're majoring in engineering and not Native studies, history, or logic.

The Illini Indians' descendants, the state's Native communities, and the university's Native students all oppose the dancing clown. Motsinger denies that these Indians exist. Wow, Chief Illiniwek is really educating people about today's Indians...NOT.

For an extended debate on this subject, see:

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2009/10/next-dance-is-educational.html

You might want to check your facts. The descendants of the Illiniwek Confederacy are the Peoria Tribe in Oklahoma and they passed the following resolution and the Chief of the tribe made this statement.
"In April 2000, the tribal council, with Chief Froman's support, passed by the margin of 3 to 2 a resolution requesting "the leadership of the University of Illinois to recognize the demeaning nature of the characterization of Chief Illiniwek, and cease use of this mascots [sic]". Froman said, "I don't know what the origination was, or what the reason was for the university to create Chief Illiniwek. I don't think it was to honor us, because, hell, they ran our (butts) out of Illinois." This puts Chief Illiniwek in a position different from that of the mascots of other schools such as Florida State University, whose Native American mascots are not opposed by the leadership of the corresponding tribes. In 2005, a new Chief, John P. Froman, when asked his position by the NCAA, indicated that "the Chief was not representative of our tribe and culture, mainly because the costume is Sioux." In 2006, in response to a widely published column by journalist George Will in support of the symbol's use, he wrote a letter reiterating the Peoria Tribe's opposition to the symbol and decrying that the "University of Illinois has ignored the tribe’s request for nearly five years."

All the protesters that I saw were not native americans. if you claim to have the support of native americans, I would expect there to be some at your protest.

I have found on an internet report on the Redskins suit that most native americans disagree with the people suing.

Secondly, just because some native american leadership opposes the chief does not necessarily meant that the people oppose the chief.

Thirdly, the anti-chief bloggers here need to get a life! The chief does not present native americans in a negative way. The chief was started by an eagle scout who was studying native american culture.

Fourthly, does any of these anti-chief people have any proof that native americans oppose positive portrayals of native americans? I thought not.

Fifthly, what do we have left in Illinois to remember Native Americans? Little to nothing!

Finally, anyone who is criticizing my letter for its grammar is a bigot for attacking someone with a disability.

Just FYI, in response to your claim that "Most Native Americans either support or could care less about the chief," here's a real, live, Native Person writing on the Chief. At the present moment, at least one of the commentators is also Native.

http://unitcrit.blogspot.com/2009/10/american-indian-studies-statment-on...

as far as I know, none of the anti-chief people has done anything this.

all references to Native American culture in Illinois have been removed (expect from history).

Are you serious, Junior? A lot of Natives oppose Chief Illiniwek. If they're outnumbered by non-Natives, that's only because non-Natives make up about 99% of the US population.

There are far worse stereotypes out there? First, most Illiniwek supported deny that the Chief is stereotypical. Thanks for admitting what they're afraid to say. Second, is "two wrongs make a right" really the best you can do? Maybe we should steal some Indian land because there were far worse land thefts in the past.

Chief Illiniwek has nothing whatsoever to do with the real Native culture in Illinois. Once he's gone, Illinois will continue have many Indian communities, monuments, and place names. This phony dancing fool is only the tiny tip of the iceberg, not the whole iceberg.

Did they DI print this simply to demonstrate how poorly certain people write? This letter to the editor is a joke!

"none of the anti-chief people has done anything this" what?

Also, this letter is so inaccurate! It should be a crime to print a letter to the editor filled with unsubstantiated claims (aka lies). The American Indian Studies program did not disappear with the removal of the chief mascot. The Native American House did not disappear with the removal of the chief mascot. Nor did any of the Native American students on this campus that are unanimously anti-chief mascot disappear from the State of Illinois - not to mention the hundreds to thousands living in communities across this state.

Did I also mention that the Native American House and American Indian Studies have continously issued statements agains the chief mascot?

Also, the Peoria (the remaining "Illini") have clearly stated they are against the chief mascot and find it offensive. The Oglala Sioux - the tribe from which the mascot gets its costume - have also stated they no longer want SCFI to use their regalia and are anti-chief.

Has the Chiefers not heard or read of anything this?