Chief's 'Next Dance' is back on
CHAMPAIGN – The on-again, off-again "Next Dance" honoring Chief Illiniwek is on again, still scheduled for Oct. 23.
The dance will be at 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall, following the homecoming football game against Indiana, said Roger Huddleston of Mahomet.
The announcement came less than 24 hours after Huddleston, co-founder of the Honor the Chief Society, and Samantha Uher of the Students for Chief Illiniwek said the event was "indefinitely postponed."
Huddleston said the flip-flop came about Friday morning, when pro-Chief students said they wanted the event to go on despite an Oct. 1 letter from the University of Illinois threatening the Honor the Chief Society with legal sanctions for using trademarks owned by the university.
Huddleston said Students for Chief Illiniwek met Thursday evening, then met with him Friday morning.
"It's all about the kids," Huddleston said.
"The kids met last night and they just absolutely redoubled their efforts. They basically said, we're not going to be let the legal threats stop us. He's our Chief and we're going to go on full steam ahead."
Huddleston said his group would guarantee the student group against losses for the dance.
Uher was not immediately unavailable for comment.
"There was a reassurance. We assured the students that we would back the total costs" of the event, Huddleston said.
He said those costs included $4,500 for the hall, $3,000 for security and $2,800 for the Assembly Hall's video board.
UI spokeswoman Robin Kaler said, "This is a student group event. They have rented space on campus for it, and it’s up to them whether to hold it."
MoreNot that I agree with their doing the event, but I did wonder why Huddleston's group was ever worried about the costs of a legal battle. Surely the overwhelming alumni support that the pro-Chief-as-a-University-emblem groups cite as a reason for retaining/returning the mascot would step up to the plate and financially assist in the case of copyright litigation.
I'm wondering if he may have already had a brief legal review of the case and found the likely outcome unfavorable, and thus chose to cite financial reasons for backing down rather than losing a very public legal battle? Now with more public support, he can turn either a win or a loss (or a University bluff) into a PR event and "win" either way by positioning their group as, essentially, being bullied. In which case I'm guessing the irony of their appropriating a symbol of a group that currently has virtually no voice in social policy or civics today would be lost on them.
Hmmm .. let's see ... when an Illinois student defaced the artwork surrounding the Native American House last year the apologists were trying to blame the artist, saying things like 'the chief thing is over, why don't they let it drop?" Now the bigots are back with another ridiculous "dance" routine because it's "all about the kids." Yeah right Roger. No it's all about white entitlement and ignorance of other cultures. The University should sue if they truly want this nonsense to stop. Otherwise they and the community continue to deserve their reputation as a place that's hostile to minorities.
Huddleston's group backs SFCI in case they don't raise enough from ticket sales to cover the huge cost. The first year expenses were covered and additional profits were donated to the Grand Village of the Kickapoo in Leroy, where many of the SFCI kids also put in volunteer hours. The second year's expenses were not covered because of the inopportune time they were allowed to schedule the event. I don't imagine the University would allow them to rent Assembly Hall without someone backing them up financially. Have you ever had to co-sign for your kids' apartments, credit cards, etc? By the way, did you know that the current Chief's heritage is 50% Southern Cherokee? OK, so he's partly white. Oh, and his car was vandalized in front of the Native American House shortly after he was named Chief. Probably not by a Chief supporter, I'm guessing.
Meh. This is nothing more than the increasingly ridiculous last gasps of the troglodytic cultural appropriators. The fake 'chief' mascot is never coming back. How many of the people who decry the end of the fake 'chief' mascot also miss Sambo and Amos n' Andy. Are you also nostalgic for minstrel shows?
Most intelligent people who are either alumni of the U of I or long time Central Illinois residents can't help but be so NOT impressed with the words 'troglodytic cultural appropiators".And yes, most people are completely aware of what you attempted to convey but failed to do. Comparing the Chief to Sambo and Amos n' Andy is such a stretch. Guess much more time and thought was given to the stupidy and inappropriateness of the big words you chose rather than what they have to do with the actual issue being discussed. Get over yourself.
Well, I don't think whether or not you are impressed by my word choice is the issue and I would hope that you'd be aware what I was doing. And yes, the silly fake 'chief' mascot is on par with Sambo and Amos n Andy. You strike an anti intellectual post, but cultural misappropriation is quite appropriate to describe what is going on here and, sadly, many of the people who support the fake 'chief' mascot are indeed troglodytic. Why not respond to my points rather than engage in such anti intellectualism and ad hominem attacks?
And what does being an alumnus or 'long term' resident of the area have to do with anything?
Mr. O'Connor, your attempted connection of The Chief to Sambo, Amos n Andy and Minstrals is laughable, obtuse and truly offensive. Freedom of speech is universal in this country as long as it doesn't incite violence, hence the reason your belligerant and invidious comments are allowed to be published. The fact remains that The Chief is not a mascot, its a symbol that brings about feelings in the majority of people of pride and unity, how else would you explain thousands of people standing during the playing of the 3 in 1 during football and basketball games. Pride and unity, how else would you explain the rousing "CHIEEEEF" chant heard when its finished. Perhaps we should ban that music as well? Then maybe any books talking about Native Americans, remember your history, there was another group of folks who burned books and tried to dictate to people what they could and couldn't support and or enjoy. Thats obviously a much more serious issue, but the connection is as good as Amos 'n Andy. Where does it end? Quite frankly you and your ilk need to take the blinders off and focus on the positives that this symbol brings. Using $5 words is wonderful. I'm sure you're a well educated person. That said, at no point in time does education grant you supreme authority to decide what is right or wrong. Cultural misappropriation is something that is more wide spread and serious in this city, state and country than a dance and reverent symbol. If you are truly concerned about such things, find a cultrual misappropriation that harbors, violence and promotes despair. The Chief does neither, pride and unity.
The fact that you are offended by opposition to the 'chief' says a lot. The fake 'chief' mascot is offensive and abusive. In the words of one of the American Indians in the movie "In Whose Honor," "What part of 'ouch' do you not understand?"
I'm sorry if you don't like my 'five dollar words,' but 'cultural misappropriation' is an appropriate term. Your anti intellectualism is sad but your attempt to equate opposing the silly fake 'chief' mascot to Nazi book burning is truly disturbing and says a lot about you, none of it good.
Why yes, clearly it's not the group that is taking the cultural heritage of a politically underrepresented and neglected people and turning it into an emblem of sports entertainment that are the bullies, but rather those who would stand up to them in both legal and moral capacities.
No Ryder I believe the "leftists" that we're speaking of are the people who would dictate to the public what we are able to support and enjoy. Its hard to have representation when the Illini Indians don't exist and haven't for over 100 years. But then again, who would remember them at all if it wasn't for The Chief and the Universitiy's symbol. You're probably right, we should forget about The Chief and the actual Illini Indians and let them slip into oblivion and not be remembered at all. Or perhaps we should grant representation to all societeis and gropus from the past like the pre-historic folk that wandered the plains even before the Illini Indians'. Where do we draw the line? At what point do one persons morals become better or more righteous than anothers?
Read the FOIA Docs discovered after last year's debacle. They were not allowed to use Assembly Hall after ANY football game. Friday night of a football weekend may SOUND like a nice compromise, but in reality it isn't the football day that is needed and was requested for a larger crowd.
Since the mascot was discontinued via the NCAA, I'm curious why the NCAA isn't investigating these activities and whether or not they violate the original intent. The U of I was given a choice to either discontinue the use of the Chief as a mascot OR discontinue their membership conference play. With the Chief still present, it seems that the NCAA should be able to revisit and put conference status in question again. If the students and alums truly support the U of I sports program, it would be interesting to see what choice they make.
That cartoonish joke (the now defunct "chief") is not the "symbol" of the university. It's a fantasy whose image stirs up thoughts of tailgate parties and frat hazings from years gone by. Still, the university does own the rights to the imagery (sorry to burst your bubble, the chief is an image not a real person). The "Support" crowd needs a more constructive hobby in the here and now.
William, I am truly sorry that for you The Chief stirs thoughts of tailgate parties and frat hazings. I'm sure your college experiences weren't all bad. I've been coming to games since I was 4 or 5 years old. I've watched The Chief dance at least once every year for the last 30+ years. I have no memories of what you bring up, including memories from my college days here at the U of I.. For me and apparently thousands of others The Chief brings up thoughts of Pride and Unity (see above). The Chief actually is a real person, just not a real Chief (it isn't a cartoon dancing on the field or floor its actual flesh and blood). As for more constructive hobbies, I'd suggest you look in the mirror. Find a culturally misappropriated group that is truly in need of your help. Ask the NAACP, I'm sure they could direct you to things that are more in the "here and now" than a reverent symbol of a University that is related to a Native American tribe that hasn't been on this earth for over 100 years.
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