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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Protests Arise Over Illini Game |
Current rating: 6 |
by Matt Buczynski
Email: mbuczynski (nospam) vidette.ilstu.edu (unverified!) |
11 Nov 2003
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Illinois State riding the back of Chief Illinwek |
Last week, the ISU athletic department earned $250,000 for traveling to Urbana to play the University of Illinois, but according to some, ISU has a much longer path to traverse before the university's commitment to diversity is met.
Throughout out the week behind a small table set amongst the "In Exchange" area between Stevenson and Williams Halls, sits Bruce Hawkins, a professor in the English department.
"I want to get the university thinking why it has such a low number of Native American students, faculty and scholars on Native American issues," he said.
The main concern, Hawkins said, is ISU's willingness to compromise its ethics for money.
"If we are going to earn a quarter of a million dollars off of the back of Chief Illinwek, we ought to think of what that does to our commitment to diversity," he said.
The University of Illinois' mascot has been a hotly debated topic for years between Native American groups opposing its offensive representation on one side and loyal fans on the other side, professing their love for their chief.
But Hawkins' argument is twofold.
First, he said he questions why ISU continues to play UIUC and, second, the appropriateness of the symbol.
He said there are a number of other schools in the area who could have provided similar competition and revenue. Many schools, including those in the Big Ten, have policies against playing teams with Native American mascots, he added.
Phil Haddy, sports information director at the University of Iowa, said university policy forbids athletics teams from playing schools who have such mascots because of its "sensitivity."
An exception would be teams they are contractually obliged to play, such as University of Illinois, and other teams already scheduled.
"There's opposition to the chief and there is also a large group who support the chief." Thomas Hardy, executive director of the office of university relations at UIUC, said.
"The chief is a beloved symbol by both the alumni and the campus. It is by a policy established by the board of trustees that is the symbol of all athletics teams. Absent any changes, he will continue to be so," he added.
Iowa's official policy on mascots states, "The use of dance, music, symbols, or other behavioral representations of Native Americans trivializes that culture and is also offensive."
This, Hawkins says, ties in with the degrading nature of the symbol.
"Those facile images create a belief that we know what is a Native American," Hawkins said.
Lorraine Pflaumer, faculty associate at the College of Education and adviser to the Native American Student Association, agreed with Hawkins.
"To me, this comes right down that most people in Illinois don't know Indian people, so it's not real to them. I think it is unethical that we play U of I," she said.
Hawkins said our conception of the contemporary Native Americans is skewed by the use of such mascots.
These mascots contribute to the conceptualization of Native Americans as tomahawk-wielding savages, he added.
The mainstream understanding makes it difficult for children with Native American roots because they cannot fit into that conceptualization, causing them to question and toil with their identity, Pflaumer said.
Another side to the issue in debate is the money received from the trip to UIUC.
"The main reason for playing U of I was to earn the $250,000," Hawkins said.
The money might be used to pay for the settlement reached after men's basketball coach Tom Richardson was fired.
Instead of going to court over a contract dispute, the university settled, agreeing to pay Richardson $280,000.
According to Larry Lyons, assistant director of athletic finance, ISU will get another $40,000 this fall when the basketball team plays UIUC, bringing the total revenue up to $290,000.
But, according to Lyons, one can't tell exactly what this money will go toward.
"It's just revenue, it goes into the general fund. It's like an hourglass. They'll send a check in February or March. Who knows where it goes at that point in time," Lyons said. |
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