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Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 20:09:34 EST
Subject: Univ Illinois Protest Dec 30
STATEMENT
As we bid farewell to the twentieth century we have to look at where we are,
and where we as human beings want to go.
A century ago murders of Lakota's by non-Indians hung unsolved in the air.
Today we remember Justin Redday, Wallace Black Elk Jr, Ronald Hard Heart,
Robert Many Horses and the so many others who have been murdered in unsolved
and uninvestigated hate crimes. We have to take stock of ourselves. What are
we doing. Some scoff at protesting mascots while Indians are being murdered
and the authorities treat it as though it is less of a crime than killing a
moose out of season-after all the killers of Robert Many Horses were just
having "fun" according to the Judge who sent his murderers free. When a
rapist is elected governor of South Dakota how can we address the mascot
issue?
Yet in todays society as long as the perception is that Indian people are
cartoonish caricatures with a culture that can be degraded by intoxicated
fans playing "Indian" replete with items of sacred spiritual significance-we
have no real hope of having serious dialouge with such a deluded culture and
society about real issues. Land rights, treaty rights, sovereignty, and
something that even resembles justice for those who have been murdered. By
defining and holding the definition and perception of what a Jew was the NAZI
regime was able to rationalize and get its citizens to rationalize and even
justify the murder of millions of Jewish people. In America we mourn the loss
of Nichole Simpson and Ronald Goldman and Joan Benoit Ramsey. Who mourns for
them? No Geraldo, no 20/20 no 60 minutes. America couldcare less when Indians
die, only when they can "play Indian"
These charades must stop. The dominant society must be challenged to look
beyond degrading Indian culture, to the real issues. Its time to tear down
the illusions. We ask all human beings to join us December 30, 1999 by the
entrance to Gate 4 of Pro Player stadium (off NW 199 Street) Miami, FL at
5:30 pm and protest the racist, dsigraceful and shameful use of American
Indian people as a sports mascot by the University of Illinois. Lets make
them understand that AMERICAN INDIANS ARE HUMAN BEINGS NOT A SPORTS MASCOT
FOR AMERICAS FUN AND GAMES, and maybe just maybe after we finally eradicate
this vestige of racism the dominant society will understand Indian peoples
are a living breathing culture of human beings and that Indian lives are just
as valuable as those lives in the dominant society. Join us as we continue to
struggle towards this. Its time to take a stand as we enter this twenty-first
century.
Email;[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Contacts: Sheridan Murphy, State Executive Director
Mark Madrid, State Information Director
Mike Rogers, South Florida Regional Director
