S.T.O.P. Nevada Street Vandalism at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

S.T.O.P. Nevada Street Vandalism at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Over the past month, public artwork titled ТBeyond the ChiefУ by HOCK E AYE VI EDGAR HEAP OF BIRDS (Cheyenne-Arapaho) located on Nevada St. outside the Native American & Asian American Studies Program, and La Casa Cultural Latina has been repeatedly damaged. The intent of the exhibit is to meaningfully reflect on past and present issues impacting the Native American community. This is the third time in a month that this art exhibit has been vandalized. Not until the third vandalism was a public response or condemnation of the action issued by the UniversityХs central administration stating that measures were being taken to find the culprits and insure that this type of action does not continue to happen. This behavior is intolerable and unethical for a University that claims a commitment to diversity and excellence.


Whereas the Native American House & Studies Program was targeted three times by vandalism to public artwork by Edward Heap of Birds titled ТBeyond the ChiefУ by HOCK E AYE VI EDGAR HEAP OF BIRDS (Cheyenne-Arapaho); whereas the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues to display pro-Chief paraphernalia-which was banned in 2007; whereas the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has not publicly condemned the vandalism and the racism that is pervasive on this campus we, the undersigned, petition the University of Illinois Central Administration and the Board of Trustees with the following demands:

1. The University administration shall issue a clear and unambiguous public statement condemning
the vandalism of the 'Beyond the Chief' exhibit, linking it to racism on campus.

2. The University will immediately institute a search for a new mascot for UIUC thereby making it
clear that the chief will never return.

3. The University will take immediate steps to acquire the public art ТBeyond the ChiefУ as a
permanent art exhibit.

This vandalism is the latest in a long line of racially explosive incidents for which the University has had little or no response. In the past three or four years different groups of students have been racially targeted: Mexicans were mocked at a "Tacos and Tequila" party where students dressed up as gardeners, and women in Тwife beatersУ sported pseudo-pregnant bellies; African Americans were negatively depicted in a "Big Booty Hoes and Ghetto Bros" party, and there was even a threat against the life of a Native American student.

Contributing to the hostile racial climate is the lingering presence of Chief Illiniwek -- a controversial figure. To some the ChiefХs March 2007 retirement was initially considered to be a major step towards combating racism. However, the Chief was retired without any mention of its negative impact on the campus climate, especially for Native American and other marginalized students. For this reason both anti-Chief and pro-Chief supporters understand the decision to have been financial rather than moral. This incomplete 'retirement' contributes to an environment already tolerant of racist action. It is a disservice to the entire campus and community -- including those who are Pro-Chief and hope for its return, and those students who want to move past the Chief controversy -- that the ChiefХs presence still remains throughout this institution.

Arguably, this relative inaction of the Upper Administration can lead students at the University to believe that racism is something to be managed indirectly and not condemned, and this moral ambiguity causes many to disengage in any meaningful scholarly or personal reflections.


Therefore, in addition we demand that the University do the following:


1. Provide a monthly public report, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, that
specifically documents hate crimes, sexual assaults, stereotyping, or any other acts of violence
committed on the UIUC campus, along with actions taken to remedy the situation.


2. Establish multiple course, cross-disciplinary graduation requirements and an annual employee
training requirement that specifically engage issues of power and privilege, including racism,
sexism, homophobia, ableism, and class inequalities.


3. We demand that the university embark upon an aggressive and public plan to recruit and retain
faculty, undergraduate, graduate students, and academic professionals from marginalized
populations.


It will be hard for the campus to move Тbeyond the chiefУ until the University address the root of the problem: RACISM.


We the undersigned support these 6 demands: