CHAMPAIGN — A formal public retirement of Chief Illiniwek and a plaque outside Memorial Stadium commemorating the Chief's history — and why it was removed — are among the recommendations from a commission asked to help the University of Illinois move past the 30-year-old controversy.
The report from the Chancellor's Commission on Native Imagery: Reconciliation and Healing, released Friday morning, lists more than a dozen recommendations, including a website with a comprehensive history of the Illini, Fighting Illini and Chief Illiniwek tradition.
It does not call for a new mascot, leaving that question open. But it suggests the campus undertake a transparent process involving "all key University stakeholders" to develop new traditions for students and fans to rally around that "do not rely upon Native American images or traditions.