Score another one for the forces of Political Correctness...

The University of Illinois is giving up it's Mascot, Chief Illiniwek. For years the PC crowd has been trying to get rid of him -- protesting to the students and staff, and even the state government. But every time they tried, the people said "Keep the Chief". So they finally went to the NCAA -- obviously us backward Illinoisans weren't going to give in to their bullying, so they went to the only outside body that could do them any good, and would listen to them.

Disclosure time -- my great grandmother (or possibly my great great grandmother, I'm not exactly sure) was half Cherokee. I am not enough of a fan of genealogy to trace every last possible ancestor to see if I am descended from a person listed on the Dawes List (which would allow me to apply for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation). Most of my heritage is Anglo Saxon (and fairly heavy on the Scottish) -- with a great Grandfather coming to this country from Ireland when he was but a young lad. So unless some one offers the documentation for me to become Cherokee, my investment in Native American interests is somewhat limited.

The latest word is that they're going to go after the name "Fighting Illini" next. Yippee. You know what? The Illiniwek tribe is pretty much forgotten these days. You never see them mentioned in movies, or in the news opening a new casino (nothing crass or commercial about that, is there). You take away the reference to them for the University, they'll be forgotten in 20 years. They'll be a mere footnote in history as the source for the name of our state -- unless of course the PC nuts start demanding that we rename the state.

Here's what they should have done...

Tribal leaders and the University could have worked together to start a scholarship available to young Native Americans to attend the university and be one of a rotating group of mascots. A couple of times each year they could have had representative come to events and perform genuine tribal dances as a way of educating the rest of us on the culture. Instead of taking advantage of an opportunity to share a fading bit of our past, the PC culture of victimization will doom more people to marginalization.

Wow, how's that for a big word...