American Indian activists cheered a federal civil rights panel's call Friday for an end to Indian team names and mascots at non-Indian schools, colleges and universities. This is a great day,'' said Charlene Teters, a member of the Spokane Nation. Her protests at the University of Illinois in the late 1980s and early 1990s helped spark a national debate over Indian sports names and mascots, even though the university's team name is still the Illini, named for an old Midwest Indian confederation, and its mascot is still Chief Illiniwek. D'Alemberte said he would review the statement and carefully consider its recommendations.
Schools have a responsibility to educate their students.
They should not use their influence to perpetuate misrepresentations of any culture or people,'' the statement said. The images may ''encourage interest in mythical 'Indians,''' it said. The push to get rid of Indian names and mascots began in 1988, when Teters and two fellow Indians arrived at the University of Illinois as graduate students. We found ourselves in this environment where stereotypes permeated everything,'' she said. The St. John's University Redmen are now the Red Storm, while Stanford fans cheer for the Cardinal instead of the Indians.