GrayBear wrote:Yeah but both the Sioux (the style the chief portrays) and the Peoria tribe (the descendants of the Illini) have opposed the Chief and asked for his removal.
I think you will find that, as to the Peoria, this is a recent phenomenon, perhaps goaded by activists. The apparel you ridicule was in fact acquired in consultation with, and purchased from a leader of the tribe, Frank Fools Crow. As for the Sioux "style", I know of none, since the Sioux nation comprises numerous bands and sub-parts. Anyway, the Oglala Sioux themselves seem to have a more open mind about these things than the vocal activists trying to manipulate opinion:
http://www.lakotamall.com/oglalasiouxtribe/council.htm
Note the member in Kansas City Chiefs attire.
[Also note in the "History" link the fellow wearing buckskin and feathers]
Actually it seems that Frank Fools Crow donated the attire to UIUC. So good for them. I have no problem with the Chief only in that his attire does not represent the Illini, but in fact represents plains Indians, more specifically the Lakota Sioux, who made the outfit. I also never said that Indians didn't wear buckskins and feathers, in fact many white people did too, so much so that the Indians in the middle eastern US almost decimated the white tail deer population. So I don't ridicule the outfit, but simply point out its irony.
Also, the Oglala Sioux are not so open minded with regard to Chief Illiniwek as they passed this resolution:
http://www.nah.uiuc.edu/mascot-news.htm
(scroll down to January 18, 2007)
Like I said I am on the fence over this issue and to some degree I am playing devil's advocate. I really could care less about these schools' mascots as I have no tie to them (although I did work for UIUC for a bit), but I sympathize with students and alumni that face the loss of a cherished tradition. I deal, good and bad, with Indians, Tribes, and BIA in my job quite a bit. I was trying to point out more the reasoning behind their anger which is having a stake in the decisions of their culture. The whole mascot thing is just a small aspect of that, as they deal with many other issues that are more widely supported by the Native American community and stem from the same reasoning.
