University of Illinois Racist 'Indian as the Mascot' Not Allowed in NCAA Tournament

The University of Illinois has made it to the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament this weekend, but its mascot Chief Illiniwek won't be in St. Louis with the team. "There are a lot of places that the University of Illinois cannot go with their mascot," said Charlene Teters, a member of the Spokane Tribe in eastern Washington and professor at the Institute of the American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. "There have been resolutions with other campuses that say: Leave your racism and face painting behind." The root of the controversy is Chief Illiniwek, a 78-year-old tradition in which a student dresses in buckskins and a fake war bonnet and dances at halftime shows for basketball games and other university sporting events. "No, the chief will not be performing at the NCAA Final Four tournament," said Tom Hardy, executive director of the school's Office of University Relations. The mascots of the other three Final Four finalists are expected to attend, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Illinois is scheduled to play Louisville at 4 p.m. today at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Chief Illiniwek represents the Illini tribe, which was nearly wiped out in the 1700s. The survivors were forced to move to Kansas and then to Oklahoma. The modern Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma is made up of original Illinois Indians, according to the Illini history and culture. [more]