Mascot Issue
On February 21, 2007, the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign retired the Chief Illiniwek as its mascot. The following statements offer a perspective about this issue in hopes that our community can advocate for a more positive and safe campus climate. The Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, by way of this web page, hopes to respectfully support and uphold the decision of the Board of Trustees, while offering a platform for constructive resolutions to this issue.
Statement from the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Native American House/American Indian Studies Statement
Daily Illini (DI) letter from the Chancellor from 11/10/08
Daily Illini (DI) editorial by DI editorial board from 11/12/08
Daily Illini (DI) opinion column by Katie Dunne, student
Statement from the OIIR Cultural Houses:
"The continued use of Chief Illiniwek is an obstacle to fulfilling our
mission of promoting a diverse and welcoming environment that supports
full inclusion for all members of the University community. We strive to
respect the human dignity of all individuals and communities. Our units
seek to provide arenas for the exploration of personal and community
identities and opportunities to increase understanding and valuing of
differences. Therefore, the retirement of Chief Illiniwek is in the best
interest of our community." 11/08
2010 Award Recipients
