December 15, 2006
They called it a"congressional field hearing" to examine Tim Johnson's and disgraced House Speaker Dennis Hastert's “Protection of University Governance Act of 2006” (HR 5289). It ended up being a stacked Republican attempt to shame the NCAA for pushing us closer to ending the use of a racist mascot at UIUC.
However, Bernard Franklin of the NCAA held his ground and received support from Professor Steven Kaufman and Democratic congressman, Danny K Davis (IL). Not one American Indian was present as an official witness despite ample representation available at UIUC's Native American House and American Indian Studies program. (See the below interview of Professor Debbie Reese for more on this subject).
The hearing was heavily policed and no one was allowed entrance who openly wore t-shirts with anti-racism messages. Police at the entrance made people remove their shirts or turn them inside-out - while crowd members with mascot emblems and "chief" written on their shirts passed right through with open arms.
This attempt to silence dissent was reinforced by Republican Chairman of the committee, Howard McKeon (CA) when he began the session by saying, "We will not have any response from the audience.. Please if you would just not respond to anything that is being said."
Click on the below images and links to listen to witness testimony, congressional questioning, and interviews.
Opening Remarks from Congressional Representatives
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"What is it that leads to the audacity of a quasi institution like the NCAA to ignore a resolution of one of the largest states in the nation? I think the answer is simple. As we would say down here in Southern Illinois, the NCAA has gotten too big for it's britches" |
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"The NCAA policy is fairly simple and straightforward. It was designed to align the core principles of cultural diversity, civility, respect and nondiscrimination with the practice of creating an educational environment at NCAA championship events. Its primary purpose is to maintain NCAA championships as an environment that promotes an atmosphere of respect for, and sensitivity to, the dignity of every person. These are core issues memorialized by the membership in the NCAA constitution that clearly are to be addressed and protected by execution of the duties of the Executive Committee." |
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"This Congressional hearing is not about "Chief" illiiniwek at the University of Illinois nor Indian imagery found in intercollegiate sports. This is about actions of a powerful private de facto monopolistic organization which controls most aspects of US intercollegiate sports activity. This is about an organization which by-in-large has provided strong positive leadership and control for intercollegiate athletics. This about how this powerful organization has undertaken a Political Correctness initiative illegally, as defined by their own constitution, and by the terms of the contract they have with their institutional members." |
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"Many Illinoisians with Native American blood have publicly stated that they are honored by the University of Illinois' symbol, "chief" illiniwek, which represents the loftiest principles of the human spirit-loyalty, wisdom, courage, strength, leadership, bravery and dignity." |
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Questioning from Congressional Representatives |
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"I am somewhat amazed and disappointed that in the land of Lincoln, the home of our great president, Abraham, that the trustees of this great institution have not seen fit to eliminate as a mascot a name that is offensive to some people in our country ... especially to Native Americans who where in fact the first citizens that we know about in this country." |
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Neither Madigan or Johnson or Chapin Rose, any of the pro-"chief" people on that panel have ever - ever gotten in touch with me or come over to the Native American House, Native Studies program, nada. |
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I am very alarmed at the level of both mis-information and lack of information that the members of the inquiry displayed. They haven't done their homework. They misrepresented the lack of participation of the Peoria Tribe and tried to pretend that there was involvement from the Native point of view and there was none. And that's unforgivable. |
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