The University of Illinois has eliminated a "war chant"
song at athletic games, according to news reports.
The school's
Chief Illiniwek mascot was retired in 2007. But the
song, which features a stereotypical
drum sound, continued to be performed at some games
up until Thursday, when a group was told to playing it,
The Champagne News-Gazette reported.
“There are people who felt that was an offensive Native
American chant or music,” athletic department
spokesperson Kent Brown told The Associated Press.
Despite the change, the teams continue to be known as
the "Fighting Illini' in reference to the
Illinois Confederation, a group of tribes based in
present-day Illinois. Descendants of some of the tribes
can be found today in Oklahoma after their ancestors
were forced to move there by the federal government.