Additional Coverage:
- Illinois may soon return land the US stole from a Prairie Band Potawatomi chief 175 years ago (newsbreak.com)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Nearly two centuries after the U.S. government deceitfully took land from the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Illinois is on the verge of making amends by returning the land. In 1829, Chief Shab-eh-nay and the U.S. government entered into a treaty safeguarding a reservation in northern Illinois for him.
This agreement was not altered by later treaties or the 1830 Indian Removal Act, which relocated indigenous peoples across the Mississippi River. However, in 1848, the government sold this land to settlers while Shab-eh-nay was in Kansas.
In a move to rectify the past, Illinois is planning to hand over a 1,500-acre park named after Shab-eh-nay to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. The park, located west of Chicago, will remain under the state’s maintenance, ensuring its preservation. Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick, chairman of the tribe, emphasized the intention to maintain the park’s current state, allowing the public to continue enjoying it.
The original reservation of Chief Shab-eh-nay spread over 1,280 acres and now includes private lands and a golf course, making the restoration of the exact land impractical. The proposed solution, which has cleared the Senate but awaits House approval, involves transferring the Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area to the tribe.
Legal and historical records confirm that the sale of Shab-eh-nay’s reservation was illegal. A compelling argument from a 2000 Interior Department memo supports the tribe’s claim, stressing Illinois officials’ discomfort at the concept of an Indian reservation within the state.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi, the bill’s sponsor, notes this as a considerable compromise by the Potawatomi, forgoing claims on parts of the original reservation now privately owned in exchange for the park.
While the transfer aims to heal old wounds, some locals worry about potential developments, like casinos or hotels, that could disrupt their community. Rupnick, however, dismisses the feasibility of a casino due to existing gambling venues in the state and does not entirely rule out hotel construction due to the park’s attractiveness to visitors.
In 2006, the tribe made a significant step by purchasing 128 acres within the original reservation, which was recognized as Illinois’ first reservation in April 2023. The land transfer of the park could further fulfill a long-standing promise, maintaining a valuable public asset and rectifying a historical injustice.