To some, Chief Illiniwek is an honored symbol of the University of Illinois that should be preserved. And to others, he’s a racist stereotype that had to go. The University of Illinois hosted the first of a series of “Critical Conversations” events, which aim to help the campus and community move forward more than a decade after the Chief was retired.

There’s another new effort to honor the memory of Chief Illiniwek during this week’s University of Illinois homecoming celebration -- a decade after the U of I retired the Chief.