The Honor the Chief Society was founded in 2001 to lend historical perspective to the Chief Illiniwek Tradition
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at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is the Society's objective to share the history of Chief Illiniwek so that people can gain a better understanding of the heritage surrounding one of our country's most time-honored academic traditions.

The Society has found that, when people take the time to learn about the Native Americans for whom the State of Illinois was named, and reflect upon how Chief Illiniwek has been portrayed by her flagship university, they are better able to recognize the difference between an athletic mascot and a time-honored symbol of tradition and respect. It is our hope that, as more people learn about his proud past, they will join us in honoring the tradition that is Chief Illiniwek.