Man Who Created Chief Illiniwek Logo Wants It Back

I hope the creater makes some cash. He allowed it to be used for years for free. Why shouldn't he get paid?

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Actually, the University paid him $210 in 1980 for the rights to the drawing so he has absolutely no rights to it. Retaining the logo rights is the first honorable thing the University has done willingly without being pressured into "doing the right thing". If the University released the rights, the racial logo would continue to be sold in spite of the established harm to American Indians (you are familiar with the research of Dr. Stephanie Fryberg, aren't you? Or don't you care, like so many European American U of Illinois fans?). This way, the logo will decrease and die out as current fans die off. At least this way, future generations of American Indians will not have to put up with having their race used for the entertainment and fun-and-games of white sports fans. As the United Methodist Church said in May 2004, these race-based nicknames and logos are "a blatant expression of racism".

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Not so fast. Even if the university paid him there may still be an agreement from 1980 where the artist stipulated that the logo was to be used for U of I athletics which would indeed give him rights since the university has chosen to fall victim to a small special interest group and retire the symbol.

The logo will survive one way or another, rest assured. Intelligent people understand that The Chief was never a racist mascot but instead was a dignified symbol of the university. Those people will not let years of tradition fall to the wayside because of political correctness gone awry. So expect to see a lot of the chief's likeness in the years to come.

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What are you characterizing as “a small special interest group”? Is it the several hundred tribal chairs on the National Congress of American Indians, the largest and oldest American Indian organization, who represent their several hundred tribes and who have consistently since 1968 opposed these race-based sports nicknames, logos and mascots? Are these American Indian tribal chairs “a small special interest group”?
Or are you referring to the other significant American Indian organizations who oppose these race-based school symbols such as the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Governor's Interstate Indian Council, United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes (Composed of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muskogee (Creek), Cherokee, and Seminole Nations)?
Also opposed to racial sports symbols are dozens of professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, National Education Association, National Indian Education Association, American Sociological Association, American Counseling Association, Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas, American Indian Language and Culture Education Board, American Indian Mental Health Association, Asian American Journalists Association, Center for the Study of Sports in Society, Modern Language Association, Native American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.
Also opposed are such human rights organizations as the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, NAACP, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media.
Opposed are such religious organizations as the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., United Methodist Church, American Jewish Committee, United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, National Conference for Community and Justice (formerly National Conference of Christians & Jews), Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Inter-Faith Council on Corporate Responsibility.
Also opposed are Advocates for American Indian Children, Association on American Indian Affairs, Concerned American Indian Parents, Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, Michigan Civil Rights Commission, Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, Kansas Association for Native American Education, Michigan Education Association, State of Michigan, State Board of Education, Minnesota Indian Education Association, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board, Minnesota State Board of Education, New Hampshire State Board of Education, New York State Education Department, North Dakota Indian Education Association, Wisconsin Indian Education Association.
This isn’t a matter of “political correctnes’ but of ‘moral correctness’.
You can tell a lot about a person by the clothing they choose to wear. For example, those who in the future wear clothing containing the ‘Indian’ head logo or references to ‘Chief Illiniwek” are telling the whole world that they are ignorant, insensitive or racist.

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What about the Minnesota Vikings? Do all references to Nordics and Swedes (we know they don't play American football) have to be repatriated as well?

I'm not saying Native Americans have not been victims of racism over time (they have), but I think most non-racists would agree that the Chicago Blackhawks have the coolest name and logo in the NHL.

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I would like clarification from Gunderson on this mark. As far as I can tell, there is nothing inherently racist in the graphic design of this symbol. It's striking, bold, and does not portray its subject in any type of gross charicature. How does this mark denigrate Native Americans?

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To Bob Loblaw:
Whereas the Vikings are all dead and the Viking culture is not practiced today, American Indians are proud of the fact that they and their cultures are still here in spite of all they have endured. American Indians are a living people practicing current cultures.

It isn’t the same as the person who says “I am of Scandinavian heritage and I’m not offended by calling a team the Vikings.” First of all, the Vikings no longer exist. The reference is to long-extinct ancestors, not to living people. The Viking period ended over 900 years ago, ending before 1100 A.D. You cannot walk down the street today ask a Viking if they are offended because they are all dead. Teams are named “the Vikings” after an extinct culture, not a current culture.

The Vikings were primarily known as invaders who murdered, raped and pillaged their way across Europe and called “the scourge from the north”. The “Vikings” sports nickname refers to those warrior-Vikings who existed and practiced their culture over 900 years ago. Living Scandinavians therefore don't feel stereotyped by the “Vikings” nickname since it doesn’t represent them but instead represents a group of people and a way of living that hasn’t existed for nine centuries.

Notice that the teams are called “the Vikings” and are not called “the Norwegians” or “the Swedes”. A team like the Minnesota Vikings would need to be called the “the Minnesota Norwegians” or “the Minnesota Swedes” if they were to use an existing culture. But even such a nickname wouldn’t make it equivalent because one nickname (‘Indians’) is based on race whereas the other nickname (‘Norwegians’ or ‘Swedes’) would be based on ethnicity or nationality. The difference between race and ethnicity/nationality, while subtle, is important in this arena.

To Jeff Steven:
It is not a matter of whether the logo is a caricature. It is also not a matter of whether it is “respectful” or not. It is instead a matter of stereotyping of American Indians by a predominately-white university.

Research has been conducted on this (e.g., Fryberg) and it has been determined that “respectful” race-based ‘Indian’ nickname/logos had the same level of negative psychological impact on American Indian students as did logos that were “disrespectful” (like that of the Cleveland Indians baseball team).

Fryberg’s research also determined that exposure to these racial logos “boosted” the self-esteem of European Americans, which helps explain why so many European Americans have difficulty understanding how American Indians could have a different experience.

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