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Announcement :: Civil & Human Rights : Media : Miscellaneous : Protest Activity |
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Racist University Nickname |
Current rating: 4 |
by Chris Stapel
Email: chrisstapel (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!) |
24 Mar 2004
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Please urge Bradley University to eliminate their racist, Native American mascot. |
Dear Friends-
Yesterday Bradley University announced that Richard Norton Smith, a noted Presidential historian, will be speaking at their May commencement. To put added public pressure on the university to eliminate their racist, Native American "Braves" nickname, I kindly ask that you please call Mr. Smith at 217-558-8882 and ask him to reconsider his invitation at Bradley. Kindly remind him that Bradley University continues to embrace a racist nickname that degrades many people. If you are in need of more talking points, please visit the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media website at www.aimovement.org/ncrsm/. And as always, please forward this request to friends and colleagues so that Mr. Smith can be sure that the number of people who oppose hate is large and strong!
Additional support may be shown by contacting Bradley University's president, David Broski, at dcbroski (at) bradley.edu or (309) 677-3167.
Once again, PLEASE CALL BRADLEY'S COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AT 217-558-8882 AND ASK HIM TO RECONSIDER HIS VISIT TO A UNIVERSITY THAT EMBRACES A HATEFUL NICKNAME.
Thanks for your help,
Chris Stapel |
This work is in the public domain |
Comments
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by A native American reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
24 Mar 2004
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'Braves' are young Indian warriors... how is that racist? That is no different than naming your team 'Soldiers'. You really need to learn what racism is. |
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Yeah, Right |
by dose of reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 4
24 Mar 2004
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"A native American reader" really said that?
Oh, yeah...I know him....Old "Chief White Boy Like Fake Indian" |
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Dose of Reality |
by a native American reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
25 Mar 2004
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I take it you are poking fun at Native Americans. I am trully sorry for you. I wish you could see past your stereotypes. |
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Braves no different then Soliders |
by A native military reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 4
25 Mar 2004
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If "Braves" is no different than "Soliders" then why don't we have more teams with soliders as mascots or "honored symbols"?
Or better yet, why don't we change the braves and the chief to the Marines or fight'n soliders? If this doen't seem like a good idead then it is because sports mascots are not respectful enough for a branch of our military or a race of people like native americans. (Army, Air Force, etc. teams are exceptions becaues they are soliders) |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by a native American reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
25 Mar 2004
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Maybe because those names are reserved for the branches of your military. I simply state that naming a team 'Braves' is not insulting to my people.
I think you are insulted by the name more than we are. Why is 'The Fighting Irish' ok but 'Braves' not? |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by James Mortland
mortland1976 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
25 Mar 2004
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Actually, the mascots of the respective services are all animals. The Marines have a bulldog, the Army has a mule, the Air Force has a falcon, and the Navy has a goat. I think that the Coast Guard mascot is a dog. |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by James Mortland
mortland1976 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
25 Mar 2004
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After posting my comments about the military mascots, I thought I might dig a little into the history of the US Army Mule. As a soldier, I wondered why my predecessors would choose such a lowly pack animal as a mule to represent our service. This page:
http://www.usma.edu/dcfa/activity/veterinary/listings.htm
presents a brief history of how the lowly Mule became our esteemed symbol. It is of notable interest that it was the efforts of a Sergeant First Class (generally, the rank of a platoon sergeant) at West Point, a former Buffalo Soldier, which marked the official start of the tradition in 1947.
That the Army took the efforts of a non-white soldier to heart at that time tells us a couple of things. First, honorable tradition is at the core of this mascot. Second, it is out of a belated respect for the hard, sometimes abused, and often overlooked work of the lowly mule for the Army that it became elevated to the status of our service’s symbol. Third, the efforts of a non-white soldier were respected enough by our service to turn his request into a reality that represents the Army as a whole.
Of course, I’m not comparing mules to Native Americans, per se. Animals are just animals, but people are humans, and should be respected as such.
The respectful history of how the mule came to represent the Army stands in stark contrast to how mules were treated when they were actually IN the service of the Army.
The history of how the Chief became the UIUC symbol in many ways mirrors the Army symbol’s journey. It is not the abuse that Native Americans endured that is being exalted. It is the belated respect that is being shown to Native Americans from the conception of Chief Illiniwek as the UIUC symbol in the early 20th century that is honored by Chief supporters. That the Chief exists today in a position of respect is a testament to the fact that Chief supporters, as a whole, respect Native Americans and feel disdain and remorse for the treatment of Native Americans in the earlier centuries of the US.
To take Chief Illiniwek out of the context of his history from the early 1900’s to today as the University’s symbol is to do the Chief and his supporters a great and intellectually flawed disservice. |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by a native American reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
25 Mar 2004
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Thank you James Mortland. I have often spoken with family members who are more opinionated about the Chief issues and we as a family have seen no reason why non-Indian people should be insulted by the Chief. My father researched the dance that Chief Illiniwek does and it is the native dance of the tribe. That an educational institute would honor the Illini people in such a way is very honorable.
The hurtful things are like the message posted above by 'dose of reality'. People like that think that all Native Americans talk like savages. Those are the people who continue the hurt. People like that make fun of our culture and laugh at our sorrows. Those are the people who are full of hate. I would never make fun of anything that white people do or speak of stereotypes about them. It is not honorable to do so.
I still cannot see how naming a team 'Braves' is racist. 'Redskins' maybe. 'Braves' no |
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Your Ignorance Is Showing |
by dose of reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 9
25 Mar 2004
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There is no real "native American reader" or "native military reader" in this thread. It's just another example of how dressing a white boy up in native clothes is such a slippery concept. It's even easier to fake being an Indian on-line, as this thread amply shows.
The final proof is the supposedly knowledgable "native" claiming that the "Chief's" dance is authentic, since "the dance that Chief Illiniwek does ... is the native dance of the tribe." Even the few knowlegable suporters of the "Chief" that do exist ackowledge that his dance is definitely not of the Illini -- they say it is a Plains Indian dance. I think Carol Spindel most accurately sums it up by pointing out the dance is actually an adaptation of a Boy Scout dance.
Authentic? No, not unless you are speaking for those white people who like to pretend they have native heritage or, as Mortland has already admitted, that the "Chief" is just a cheesy imitation. |
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Dose of Reality |
by a native American reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
25 Mar 2004
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I will be sure to tell my father that Carol Spindel says it is not an authentic dance. He surely will see the error of his ways and we as a family will change our heritage for you.
I also will inform my siblings that being 40% native American is still 'white'.
I am glad your trust and openess in your fellow man is so strong. I hope your wife or girlfriend never does anything to raise any suspicions. She will be in for a tough experience.
Believe what you will, I know where my heritage is. |
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Why I'm Suspicious |
by dose of reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
25 Mar 2004
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OK, anAr, let's start with your name, "a native American reader" because it's just a little strange. When the phrase "Native American" is used to denote ethnicity, both words are usually capitalized. Maybe you're just a bit different -- maybe you're fake.
Then there's the idea of your heritage. 60% Caucasian -- 40% "native American"...You truly must have some unusual heritage. Most people have a mom and dad, who have parents, i.e. your grandparents. Thus if you have one Indian grandparent, you could be 25% Indian. Now if you bring in your great-grandparents and one of them is Indian, you would be 12.5% Indian or if two were Indian, you'd be 25% Indian. If you were lucky enough to have three Indian great-grandparents, you'd be 37.5% Indian. Now if you're _40%_ Indian, then either your math is bad or they round a lot in your "tribe". People usually talk about parentage percentages in terms of fourths, eights, sixteenths, instead of using a numerical percentage, for an obvious reason -- human beings reproduce in factors of two. But you're different, I know.
Finally, the IMC has been reporting on the "Chief" for a long time, but we haven't heard from you until just now. It's also kinda strange how you wandered in the front door, joined at the hip with new our military friend, James Mortland, (who himself strangely started popping up regularly after Jack Ryan pretty much wore our his welcome here and had to get back to losing the Illinois Senate election) carrying on a conversation with him like you're the best of buddies, go back a long way and all that, don't ya' know? And who's this cousin (I suppose) of yours, "a native military reader" because he sounds like he might know you both (and the whole bunch of you know it sounds rather Freudian, right?), but it looks like you're ignoring him and he might be getting lonely, 'cause none of the rest of us thinks he is any different than the both of you (who strangely resemble each other....) |
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Re: James Mortland |
by 5
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
25 Mar 2004
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A little research shows that Mr. Mortland has written several letters to the editor in the DI. He is a pro-chief activist and apparently he has no sense of irony. Here is a recent one for sampling.
http://dailyillini.com/opinions/1222
Letter | The Daily Illini
Published Tuesday, March 16, 2004
William Cook, et al, are suing Round Barn of Champaign under the pretense of civil rights violations for not allowing them into what amounts to a Chief supporters' convention. Just for fun, the DI decided to support Cook's allegation that Phil Katsinas, Round Barn's owner, is an evil man, intent on re-enacting 60s-era Alabama civil rights battles with a more dominant outcome for the white man.
First, Round Barn is a private establishment, and Katsinas has the right to deny service to anyone he desires. Part of his business at that location is a restaurant; trouble at the convention center means a decrease of restaurant business.
Second, the occasion at Round Barn was not intended to be an open forum for both sides — it was strictly a morale builder for Chief supporters.
Finally, one of the plaintiffs in the suit is William Cook. Just to refresh readers' memories, this is the same guy who thought that it was appropriate to scream obscenities in front of children in the Assembly Hall. Just for good measure, he resisted arrest after he refused the order of both police and Assembly Hall security to leave the premises. He then screamed "police brutality" when his handcuffs felt uncomfortable.
Because Cook is a local anti-Chief rallying figure, wouldn't it be reasonable for Katsinas to assume that he was there to cause trouble with the Chief supporters? What business owner WOULDN'T keep out a bunch of rowdy children for the sake of business?
James Mortland
senior in LAS
---------------------------
P.S. I worked for Phil Katsinas---and while I wouldn't say he's exactly evil.... |
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Dose of Reality |
by a NATIVE American
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
26 Mar 2004
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Why I phrased it as 40% was because my maternal grandfather was almost pure-blood. My father is mostly Native American. For Federal benefits an 'Indian' must notate what percentage Native American they are. Our benefits are on a sliding scale.
As for why I wasn't putting a capital N in native, I hold a belief that since our people were wandering people we did not evolve from North American soil. Rather our people migrated here through Alaska when the Alutian (pardon my spelling) island. It is something I have received trouble from in my family.
As for Mortland, I have never met the man, either online or in person.
Why I started writing now, I began college this past Fall. It has taken me this long to find this site. I found it by searching for information about the 'Ladies Against War'. There is a link to UCIMC.
I probably should have explained this when I posted my first message. I am sorry. |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by James Mortland
mortland1976 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
26 Mar 2004
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5-
Thanks for posting my letter - the more people read my letters - whether or not they agree with me - the bigger my ego gets. :)
I stand by everything I write, that's why my FULL NAME appears with every post and every letter, Mr. "5".
To read more of my incoherent ramblings, I've set up a weblog - feel free to link to it or just bash away, if you feel the need, either here on the UCIMC website or at the "Feedback" link on the blog.
Just try to keep it clean, there's no reason for naughty language.
Postive comments and constructive criticism are also accpeted.
ltmortland.blogspot.com |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by RR
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 6
28 Mar 2004
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The bottom line is that The Chief and The Braves insult people. (I am not referring Illini and Native Americans are not insulted but the Illini and native Americans that are insulted.)
When we say we have these "honored symbols" to honor them, they tell us they are still insulted.
We know we are insulting them and we persist. What does that say about us? |
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Re: Racist University Nickname |
by Anon
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: -3
29 Mar 2004
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What does it say about them when you don't hear the Irish people whining about 'The Fighting Irish'? There is a small percentage of Native Americans who are insulted at the names. Is it ok to name gas stations Kickapoo or towns Cheyenne? If so, than why is it not ok to name sports teams 'Braves' or Chiefs'? It is a huge double standard. |
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