indian mascot
...n attempt to stop the chop. The fans who claim that the chop isn't offensive, do not understand the impact of the chop to the Native American peoples’ heart. Headdresses made of feathers and the "war paint", their portrayal of Native Americans adds to the wounds of racism. To see fake feathers worn by painted, sometimes drunken fans at a sports game is a mockery of sacred traditions. High Schools, colleges, and universities whose teams are named after some nation or use the names "Indians", "Warriors" or "Braves" insist that they are doing this to bring honor to Native Americans. In fact, schools and professional sports teams who use Native names and mascots, provide the breeding ground for racism. That is what the team logos and mascots of Native Americans teach the children that it is "acceptable" to demean a race or a group of people. In Southwest Virginia alone, there are a number of examples: the Blacksburg High School Indians, Blacksburg Middle School Braves, Rural Retreat Indians and Shawsville Shawnees. Therefore, to the board at the University of Illinois I agree that Chief Illiniwek is meant to be a tribute to the tribe that once was settled in Illinois, but I feel that at this moment, Chief Illiniwek is a racial caricature that represents "Indian" culture in a stereotypical fashion. Why would it be so hard to change this mockery to a more appropriate logo or mascot? To say you are trying to honor Native Amer...