The Anti-Chief Activist

You believe that RacialStereotypesDehumanize and are really angry that a great University like the U of I still has a human being as their mascot. You have listened to Native Americans talk about the Chief and how insulting he is. You know that there is no way the U of I would ever have an African-American, Asian-American or even a Caucasian mascot. Why do they think it's ok to have a Native-American mascot? Just thinking about it makes you angry! It's really mean and unfair!

However, you are totally excited to be a part of this report to the Board. You figure that if you do a good job, it is possible that the Board will listen to your arguments, and maybe even get rid of Chief Illiniwek! Therefore, you are looking to be persuasive, but also respectful of the Board. You don't want them to ignore your good arguments because you are rude!

So, to make sure that you have all your facts straight you are going to use the Internet websites below to educate yourself about the Anti-Chief argument. You will then put all of the information that you collect into a 1 page essay that will be added to the final report. Remember to be persuasive - use FACTS and good arguments to convince your readers.

Here are some questions that may help you with your research:

• What are three reasons that people think the Chief is insulting to Native Americans?
• Do most Native Americans think the Chief is wrong? Why or why not?
• What are some examples of other mascots that would be insulting to other cultures? (ie: Pope Mascot would insult Catholics, etc.)
• Are there other schools that have gotten rid of their Native American mascots? Why did they do it?
• What are some ways you think the Anti-Chief side could compromise with the Pro-Chief side?