Chief Illiniwek - Chief Illiniwek and The Fighting Illini

Chief Illiniwek and The Fighting Illini

Some have incorrectly linked Chief Illiniwek with the nickname Fighting Illini. Though many assume that both are based on Illinois' American Indian traditions, the name "Illini" was first associated with the school by the student newspaper, which changed its name to The Illini in the late 19th century. (The paper is now called The Daily Illini.) The addition of the adjective "fighting" originated about five years before the appearance of Chief Illiniwek as a tribute to Illinois soldiers killed in World War I. Similarly, the on-campus football venue, Memorial Stadium, was named in honor of these fallen soldiers. As stated above, the NCAA has exempted the names "Illini" and "Fighting Illini" from its ban on "hostile and abusive" American Indian imagery, and these names are still used by the University. The state of Illinois is named for the Illinois River, which was itself named by French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquian tribes that thrived in the area. The word Illiniwek means "those who speak in the ordinary way," although it has often been mistranslated as "tribe of superior men."