Wimbledon isn’t the only institution that has changed tradition this week. At the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., an 80-year tradition also ended as the university’s mascot, Chief Illiniwek, made his final dance in front of a packed emotionally-charged home crowd Wednesday night. Since 1969, critics have argued that the Chief was “hostile and abusive” to Native Americans, and should be banned.Most mascots in professional and collegiate sports are representations of animals, birds or foul. They are symbols whose characteristics best represented the characteristics of the team. The qualities that Chief Illini exhibited – courage, strength and determination -- were qualities that the Fighting Illini also presented. The Chief, however, had a human face. I think many found it difficult to see past the face to the symbolic meaning attached to it.
So what’s next? Will animal rights groups begin to protest the use of certain other mascots because they are “hostile and abusive” to animals?
No comments:
Post a Comment