Chief Illiniwek was never really a “mascot.” He didn’t parade the sidelines during the game or anything like that. He could be more closely described as a band member since he only came out at halftime with the band. Though such distinctions are trivial and don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I think most objective people would agree that compared to most mascots, Chief Illiniwek was about as respectful to the Native Americans as you could possibly get. Which is probably why the supporters are so ticked off at his removal.
PS, and I actually know several Native Americans that looked at Chief Illiniwek as an honor (because of the respectful way he was presented)
“Traditions are what you make them to be. If you see them as a mockery of what they represent, then they will become so. So now the question is, who is behind the mockery? You or the tradition?”
