Football season just started and I could not help but notice the missing Illini mascot at the beginning of this year's games. As most people know, the Illini mascot was removed because it was considered offensive to Native Americans...the face paint, colorful wardrobe, and feathery headdress were too stereotypical. Being reminded of this controversy, I found myself caught a little off guard. I felt ignorant, for I did not realize that contemporary Native Americans were still facing problems with racial discrimination. It seems so far behind us that racial discrimination was an issue, yet events such as these remind us that Native Americans are still facing these problems today.
While many were pleased with the decision to remove the Chief, there were many others who aggressively opposed it. Some became so tied to the tradition they were willing to pay large amounts of money to preserve it if they could. It is understandable how people can become tied to certain traditions, especially ones lasting for eighty-one years, however, there comes a point where one has to decide which side is more important; keeping the mascot even though it is considered offensive to Native American culture or letting it go and showing respect?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/sports/ncaabasketball/04cheer.html
2 comments:
This is really interesting how you went and found how this is affecting us right now. It seems almost far away when we read about it and study it, but when we see it affect our own lives it really brings the whole problem to life.
I agree with you how you think, or how it's to think, that racial discrimination is behind us. The truth is, as you pointed out, it is very much so present today in obvious and subtle ways. This idea showed a large responce to one idea that seemed to offend a racial group, but the truth is that it's happening all the time. For homecoming next weekend, I heard that a group's costume was "jews and their dimes." Being jewish, I had to do a double take when I heard that, and I think your example is very similar and gets the same point across about how one thing that may seem very harmless can be a form of modern stereotyping and prejudice.
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