50guy

I have no native blood. I protested the Chief Illiniwek mascot because of the behavior it promotes among non-native students and fans. It plays into the ignorance and arrogance of little kids playing "Cowboys and Indians," depicting natives as "savage" and/or somehow beneath human beings - as an "enemy."

I attended the meetings and listened to natives speak of how it played out in classrooms of young native students around here who attend schools with native names. One father said his son was so ashamed of his native roots, he tried to convince his fellow students he was Hispanic in order to avoid all the ridicule. Even the teacher made jokes about his culture. He had no other friends in school, so he turned inward and grew to despise his family.

A native friend of mine attended the U of I. She's a strong woman, but she was constantly asked to speak on behalf of her people - inside and outside of the classroom. She was a STUDENT there - she should have the freedom to focus on her studies, not educate the public about all native nations, their culture, their history and their spirituality. She tried her best to focus solely on her studies, but she started to get attacked for being uppity and mean for not disclosing all the secrets to her culture. After the ruling was made by the NCAA, she had death threats on her head. Over a stupid MASCOT. Is this really "equal opportunity" for students?

I watched the U of I board members as the Indians told their personal stories. ALL of them had blank looks on their faces, as if they had no hearts at all and no comprehension of what the Indians were saying. It took a court order for them to finally "retire" that "chief." It told the Indians present that the amusement of non-natives is more important than their own children - than their own lives.

I watched the U of I non-native students hurl insults at the protesting natives and make Hollywood style war whoops around them. It's hard for me to believe any non-native parent would be proud of their child for mocking people from another culture. It's not a good lesson to teach our children, especially in this day and age.

I'm not into political correctness either, but I do value respecting others as human beings.