Bill Mills The Warrior

[Bad Eagle]

"I was constantly told and challenged to live my life as a warrior. As a warrior, you assume responsibility for yourself. The warrior humbles himself. And the warrior learns the power of giving." -- Billy Mills

This is the man who was offended when a airline steward referred to him as "Chief."

Mills the "warrior" will be at UND on April 1st.

Well, I'm glad to see my "Warrior" image is catching on. The Indian warrior image is the strongest image we have going for us. I've been advocating it as a political position for a few years now.

Feminists and feminis-led Indian males have all opposed it, but I initiated it and have advocated it on FrontPageMagazine and now on my own website, BadEagle.com.

Warriors don't cry about name calling. That's an American Negro political custom since the '60's. That's not an Indian thing. Indian mascot names and logos are not degrading or demeaning. That is a psycholgocial illusion, projected on to Indians by mistaken white leftists, using and misleading Indians into a degraded, cry-baby, weakling position. This is anything but

warriorhood.

Let's see what Mr. Mills has to say about the warrior image, "The Fighting Sioux." Anyone taking bets?

[Riverman]

A couple of questions, Where is he speaking?What time?

I bet a few "white women" will tell him he's wrong. I hate to name names...

And don't forget that "Celtic traitor" either.Mr.McKenzie.

[Bad Eagle]

Olympian Billy Mills is coming to Grand Forks, ND!

April 1, 2003 @ 7:00 PM

UND Memorial Union Ballroom

[ScottM]

I'd love to see/hear Mills' views on this issue. Sadly, he'll probably just be painted as "unenlightened", "uneducated" or perhaps even as a "moron" by the name-change crowd.

More power to him for standing up for his views!

[star2city]

Let's see what Mr. Mills has to say about the warrior image, "The Fighting Sioux."  Anyone taking bets?

I seem to remember the anti-Sioux name clique citing Billy Mills as an opponent of the Sioux name. Is this correct?

[BisonMav]

star2city Posted on Mar 10 2003, 10:22 PM

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I seem to remember the anti-Sioux name clique citing Billy Mills as an opponent of the Sioux name. Is this correct? 

How can anyone say anything bad about Billy Mills, he is an Icon. His Olympic victory is right up there with 1980 Hockey team in my book. His story has inspired many people.

[The Sicatoka]

Billy Mills is the man who was "offended" by a flight attendant who referred to him as "Chief." (SI article, March 4, 2002) The attendant did not know Mr. Mills is American Indian. The attendant referred to everyone in first class as "Chief."

[BisonMav]

Billy Mills is the man who was "offended" by a flight attendant who referred to him as "Chief." (SI article, March 4, 2002) The attendant did not know Mr. Mills is American Indian. The attendant referred to everyone in first class as "Chief."

Now that sounds like a racial slur, even though it was unintentional.

Why did Morningside change it's school nickname from Maroon Chiefs.

[The Sicatoka]

An E-7 in the US Navy is referred to as a _____ Petty Officer.

The top financial person in a company is called the _____ financial officer.

A flight attendant calling everyone in first class "chief" sounds equal opportunity to me.

[BisonMav]

If you went Pine Ridge, and were not a Native American. Would you walk around and call everyone that you met "Chief", and feel comfortable about it?

[PCM]

If you went Pine Ridge, and were not a Native American. Would you walk around and call everyone that you met "Chief", and feel comfortable about it?

I would recognize that there's more than one definition and one use for the word "chief," especially when I wasn't on the reservation. Is everyone supposed to change the way they talk and the words they use on the off chance that there's a Native American around who might take offense? That's silly.

[BisonMav]

Yes, as far as the way certain words are used. Having a customer service type person in your company calling everyone "chief", is not a good idea.

[PCM]

Yes, as far as the way certain words are used. Having a customer service type person in your company calling everyone "chief", is not a good idea.

I suspect that the flight attendant wouldn't have called Billy Mills "chief" if she'd known he was Native American. I also suspect that 99.999% of the people she called "chief" were not offended by it. In fact, most probably considered it a sign of respect.

Who was being unreasonable? The flight attendant or Billy Mills?

[BisonMav]

....and if it wasn't Billy Mills, no one would have heard about it.

Should people be getting on his case because of his response to this person.

I still think the initial remark can be taken as racist.

By the way, this doesn't have anything to do with team nicknames. I have no problem with Fighting whatever (Irish, Sioux etc). Just because Mr. Mills doesn't like being called "chief", does that mean he is opposed to the UND nickname?

[Bad Eagle]

Okay. Fact is, Mills is against Indian mascots, logos, names, etc., used by athetic teams. He speaks on it throughout the country, like all the other professional activists. Just look up his name on Yahoo.com, and you can see his involvement.

I am pointing out the irony of his advocacy of the "warrior" image, and at the same time making a federal case out of "name-calling." I see the name issue as very immature and subversive, though it is disguised as a grand, noble issue. It is petty and unbecomes a man of strength.

You can bet your bottom dollar he will speak against the "Fighting Sioux." That's why he is coming to UND, and that's why Bridges is bringing him.

[Riverman]

Whoops me bad.

I miss read what was written. I wouldn't be to worried Ralph's daughter is a chip off

the old block and know Timmy is taking over Earl's job. I think the "nickname"is safe.

I would like to know where "Bridges" seem to find all this money to bring in all "their" speakers.

[ScottM]

Whoa, I misread too ... shows what beating up the IRS all day does to one's reading skills.

In any event, I'd be interested in attending BRIDGES' next conference on what they're doing to alleviate poverty, crime, alcoholism, unemployment, poor/no healthcare, etc. among the American Indian population that doesn't involve fantastic "links" to team nicknames.

Yep, I'd take PTO to attend that one ...

[BisonMav]

Bad Eagle Posted on Mar 11 2003, 04:05 PM

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Okay. Fact is, Mills is against Indian mascots, logos, names, etc., used by athetic teams. He speaks on it throughout the country, like all the other professional activists. 

Say it ain't so. That burst my bubble. I suppose the next you are going to tell me he is friends of Martin Sheen and Sean Penn.

[star2city]

"I was constantly told and challenged to live my life as a warrior. As a warrior, you assume responsibility for yourself. The warrior humbles himself. And the warrior learns the power of giving." -- Billy Mills

Well, I'm glad to see my "Warrior" image is catching on. The Indian warrior image is the strongest image we have going for us. I've been advocating it as a political position for a few years now.

Bad Eagle:

If courage is at the root of being a warrior, your position is in good company. Here's a 1978 quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn about the weakness of the Western World, and it seems to apply even more today:

A decline in courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today. The Western world has lost its civic courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, in each government, in each political party, and, of course, in the United Nations. Such a decline of courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual elites, causing an impression of a loss of courage by the entire society. There are many courageous individuals, but they have no determining influence on public life.

Political and intellectual functionaries exhibit this depression, passivity, and perplexity in their actions and their statements, and even more so in their self-serving rationales as to how realistic, reasonable, and intellectually and even morally justified it is to base state policies on weakness and cowardice. And the decline in courage, at times attaining what could be termed a lack of manhood, is ironically emphasized by occasional outbursts and inflexibility on the part of those same functionaries when dealing with weak governments and with countries that lack support, or doomed currents which clearly cannot offer resistance. But they get tongue-tied and paralyzed when they deal with powerful governments and threatening forces, with aggressors and international terrorists.

Must one point out that from ancient times a decline in courage has been considered the first symptom of the end?

[Bad Eagle]

I've been given to understand that Bridges has planned a week long festival of anti-mascot celebration, with the same ol' speakers lined up again. Only Billy Mills is new to the UND protest market. But, he is a great Sioux man, and it is piquantly ironic that he should come there and lend his reputation to such an askewed cause.

I'm not able to find anything in print about this festival If anyone knows of anything, please let me know. All I have learned is from word of mouth. I'd like to see something in print. Thanks.

[Bad Eagle]

Don

[fightonsioux]

Bad Eagle:

You will be happy to know that Billy Mills was only able to get 25 people to his speaking engagement. It got very little press and no press at all about him denouncing the Sioux nickname. I myself polled 15 people by telling them that Billy Mills was going to be speaking at UND. 14 of them said Who is Billy Mills and the 15th said Who is Billy Mills. Oh yeah, isn't he that runner. I can guarantee you if Dr. David Yeagley was here for a speaking engagement, people would know who he is.

I find it very interesting that there is a program titled "When Cultures, Money and Athletics Clash: The Psychological Impact of the Fighting Sioux Nickname and Logo on American Indian and non-Indian Students at UND" taking place at 1 p.m. on Friday. This is all part of the week long Time-Out Wacipi event taking place at UND. I find it interesting because the Time-Out Wacipi week-long even was being advertised during hockey games at the one an only Ralph Engelstad Arena. I don't understand why they would advertise in the very place they consider racist. Go figure.

[auntie govens]

i need to state a few things about mr. mills that i feel may be incorrect. i went to his speech last teusday, and from what it sounds like, many of you did not. while he is against the use of native american nicknames and logos, that was not what his sole purpose was in speaking here. he spoke of perceptions of people, and how they produce stereotypes in both sides. he spoke of his father and himself living as a warrior, by taking responsibility for yourself and others, as well as the community you live in. he also made a very good argument on why he, as a native american, and using "warrior" or traditional beliefs is against the usage of the people as a mascot for sporting events or institutions.

i agree with bison mav in saying that he is someone who is an american icon, and should be treated with respect and looked up to.

please learn before you speak.

[teamsioux]

Yes, but I see where some people would bash Mr. Mills, not because of who he is....but for what some people would perceive as an issue that seems one-sided in the media and is rammed down our throats locally. It is more the anti-Sioux name people that is getting the criticism than Mills himself I believe.

[Bad Eagle]

I heard Bellecourt was there at the Mills speech. If true, is just shows more irony. The life of someone like Mills is the antithesis of the life values of someone like Bellecourt, or so it would appear on the surface.

American Negroes really made the name-calling issue into big business. If that's important to them, fine. But why must every other "ethnic" group follow their example, as if one size fits all? I call that racism par excellence. I say each must find its' own path. I don't believe in race-based coalitions. This is actually passe at this point.

I don't think there is anyone who disrespects Mills for anything. I know Erik Enno, one of the UND basketball coaches, talked with him at length, privately. Enno is an ex-Marine also. They totally disagree with one another, yet, they respect each other. This is life. This is what happens sometimes. People get on different tracks.