The producer of an Unofficial T-shirt design resembling Chief Illiniwek said his shirts couldn’t be printed because of complications with copyright. 

The design, an outline of the Chief with a headdress made of beer bottles, was originally available for purchase via Facebook. Elliot Rosenbaum, graduate of Ohio State University, had been coordinating printing and sales of the design, which he said was submitted to him by someone else, whom he would not name. 

Rosenbaum said he was told by the Collegiate Licensing Company, which represents the University, that Underground Printing in Champaign could not print the design. 

“A few weeks ago, we worked with the CLC, and they told us the shirt was approved, but they came back about a week ago and said it wasn’t,” Rosenbaum said. 

He said everyone who ordered a shirt was contacted via email about the change and a new shamrock design will be distributed on Thursday. Of about 100 shirts sold, he said the majority of customers did not ask for a refund. 

“The reality is there was no face on the design, and it was not anything compared to the actual profile of the Chief shirt,” Rosenbaum said in reference to a design from last year’s Unofficial. “The last thing we wanted to do was offend anyone.” 

The T-shirt provoked students and some members of the Graduate Employees Organization to reach out to administration for action. 

“The design reinforces the stereotype that Native Americans have problems with alcohol,” said Juan Bernal, GEO member. “Regardless of whether or not you support the Chief, using the symbol to promote Unofficial is completely disrespectful.”

Holly Bass, president of the North American and Indigenous Student Organization UIUC chapter and freshman in ACES, said alcoholism is a serious issue in the Native American community and to have it portrayed on a T-shirt is offensive.

“I think everyone stereotypes Native Americans,” she said. “They think they’re drunks and living off the government. Being part of nationally recognized Native American tribes and having several family members that are alcoholics, I guess the T-shirts are a touchy issue for me, seeing them portrayed like that.”

Graduate student Katie Walkiewicz said she and a group of students came together by way of an email thread on the GEO listserv after taking offense to the original design. Their goal is to have a conversation with the administration about the climate on campus for Native American students, staff and faculty. 

“These continued reemergences of these Chief parodies and discussions really aren’t doing anything to say this campus is safe for Native people,” Walkeiwicz said. 

Carey Hawkins Ash, graduate student representative on the Illinois Student Senate and Student Trustee candidate, said he was concerned these T-shirts were symbolic of a greater movement to restore the Chief. 

“As citizens of this great nation, we all have First Amendment rights,” Ash said. “But anything that could bring harm to students on this campus is not something I can support. The Chief’s restoration means the suspension of our athletic teams.” 

Other T-shirts with Chief imagery have been printed, sold and distributed for Unofficial at unofficialshirts.com and other local businesses, such as Te Shurt.

Claire can be reached at [email protected].