2 UI trustees visited Peoria tribe's new chief

As a campus effort to bridge the divide over Chief Illiniwek continues, two University of Illinois trustees quietly flew to Oklahoma last week to meet with the new chief of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.

Trustees Stuart King of Champaign and Edward McMillan of Greenville met Friday with the newly elected chief of the Peoria, Craig Harper, to discuss Native American imagery and joint projects the university has undertaken with the tribe, which includes descendants of the Illini Confederation, UI officials said.

Neither King nor McMillan would discuss their trip publicly, referring questions to UI spokesman Tom Hardy.

Hardy said the discussion covered a number of topics, including…