Chief runs out of excuses

Native American tribe demands return of Chief Illiniwek regaliaIf Chief Illiniwek will continue to dance, he will probably not be wearing quite the same garb.

On Wednesday, the Executive Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Nation passed a resolution addressed to the University President B. Joseph White and the Board of Trustees demanding the return of Chief Illiniwek's regalia and the original eagle feathers to Mel Lone Hill, descendent of spiritual leader Frank Fools Crow. Fools Crow presented the regalia to the University 23 years ago.

According to the resolution, Lone Hill asserts that Fools Crow was disappointed in how the University made use of the regalia.Comment:  A primary claim of Chief Illiniwek supporters was that a genuine Lakota gave them the Chief's regalia. Because of this, they insisted the Chief resembled a real Indian and was honoring real Indians. Now this claim has been blown out of the water. Oooops.