to 2 with 4 abstaining. The belted kingfisher, a bird local to Illinois whose female is orange and blue, has been proposed as a replacement mascot. The kingfisher as a mascot has been endorsed by the American Indian Center of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune editorial board, and the Champaign Audubon Society. In December 2022, the National Congress of American Indians endorsed efforts to find a replacement mascot, though the kingfisher was not explicitly mentioned. Supporters of the Kingfisher have dubbed the bird "naturally true to the orange and blue." Selection of unofficial chief portrayers In April 2008, the "Council of Chiefs", a group of previous Chief Illiniwek performers, named a student to portray the chief, although this portrayal is not sanctioned or endorsed by the university. Logan Ponce, a Latino student, was chosen as the 37th portrayer. Ponce expressed the ultimate goal of returning the Chief to the university. "It's unique to Illinois and has been such an important part of our history," he said. "It's part of our heritage. We look forward to continuing it." In May 2010 the Students for Chief Organization chose a new student to serve as the 38th chief portrayer: Ivan A. Dozier, who is of Cherokee ancestry. Dozier performed as Chief at the "Next Dance" event over homecoming weekend at the university in 2010. He also appeared in regalia at numerous sporting events throughout the years. Bennett Kamps was select to replace Dozier upon his graduation, with an initial appearance in February, 2016. The current portrayer is Omar Cruz Aranda. Unofficial performances and events An event called "Students for Chief Illiniwek Presents: The Next Dance," happened on November 15, 2008 following the football game against Ohio State University, in the Assembly Hall. "We want to do this event on a very exciting day for Illini fans and we want it to be a complement to that day's game," said Roberto Martell Jr., former president of Students for Chief Illiniwek and a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. An open letter was sent forth by the Native American House encouraging the entire University community to speak out against the event. On February 26, 2010 the webpage of Students for Chief Illiniwek posted nearly fifty email correspondences, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, of several members of the university administration attempting to prevent the "Next Dance" portrayals. Parties involved include Renee Romano,