This is the final part of a two-part column on the use of the Chief Illiniwek symbol/mascot by the University of Illinois. The first part ran Nov. 22.

Arguments about the Chief symbol/mascot at the University of Illinois abound. Supporters say it is an accurate depiction of the Illini, an extinct tribe of plains Indians. Detractors say the costume is Sioux, the dance is from Wild West shows and the music is Hollywood. Supporters call it a symbol; detractors call it a mascot.

Supporters cite statistics claiming a majority of American Indians support the Chief. Detractors cite statistics saying American Indians don’t. Supporters point to a long U of I tradition of using the Chief. Detractors point out that neither longevity nor public toleration of an institution is indicative of its moral correctness – slavery and denying women the vote were, after all, “traditions” in this country for some time.

Supporters argue mascots like the “Trojans” and “Spartans” experience no problems. Detractors point out that until the United States conquers and occupies Troy and Sparta, forcibly moving their citizens to reservations, the analogy doesn’t hold.

Supporters say some alumni will stop donating money to the school if the mascot is changed. Detractors ask what would happen if a group of wealthy alumni wanted the university to teach flat-earth geology.

Yet this boiling cauldron of contested issues can be distilled into one unavoidable and all-important question: Is halftime of a sporting event truly an appropriate place to honor a culture?

If so, why do we not honor figures like Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln with weekly costumed performances? The only answer can be that halftime of a sporting event is not the appropriate forum for an honorable remembrance.

We do not have the Fighting Roosevelts, the King Activists and the Lincoln Warriors because we know that these mascots would not honor these men or the cultures they represent. They are our symbols – symbols embraced by the mainstream culture – and we protect them.

We also are obligated to protect the symbols of other cultures. As members of the dominant culture, it is morally incumbent upon us to ensure, to the best of our abilities, that the representation of minimized or extinct cultures is fair, accurate and appropriate – especially at a publicly funded university. And if a venue is not appropriate to display our own cultural symbols, that same venue cannot then honor another culture.

There is no doubt that those who love and support the Chief intend to honor American Indians with their portrayal. To generations – including three in my own family – who have stood under the welcoming arms of the alma mater, it is a cherished and traditional symbol; people truly respect the values that they believe it represents.

But we also respect King and FDR and cherish what they stand for. In fact, we respect and cherish them enough to keep them from weekly performances at sporting events.

It is time to pay that same respect to Chief Illiniwek. The Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois, and all who wish to honor American Indians, should retire the Chief, and return to American Indians the most basic component of that honor – dignity.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.