Illinois State Park to be transferred to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation – NBC Chicago

Nearly a year after the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band became the first federally recognized Native American nation in Illinois, the state will transfer ownership of Shabbona Lake State Park to the nation.

The state park, located in DeKalb County, is located on land that was illegally seized and auctioned off by the United States government in the 1800s, with officials saying in statements that they were correcting a historical wrong in transferring ownership of the park to the Prairie. Potawatomi Nation Group.

“Today we are correcting a nearly 200-year-old injustice by returning these lands to the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band,” state Rep. Will Guzzardi, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. “The forced removal of the state’s indigenous population triggered generations of trauma still felt today. I am proud to join Indigenous rights advocates and members of the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band in committee and in the House to pass this bill. We still have much work to do to correct the egregious wrongs of past generations, but returning this land to its rightful inhabitants is one step closer to respecting and supporting the fight for the rights and protection of indigenous peoples.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the legislation would require the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band to maintain the land as a public conservation area. A spokesperson told the newspaper when the bill was introduced that the national park would remain open to the public.

“175 years ago, our lands were taken from us in violation of multiple treaties,” Joseph ‘Zeke’ Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band, Potawatomi Nation, said in a statement. “Today, with this historic vote, Illinois took a significant step toward righting this wrong. We are deeply grateful for the leadership, dedication and commitment of the Illinois Legislature and the many people who worked tirelessly to make this possible.

According to federal officials, the Shab-eh-nay Reservation was illegally auctioned off by the United States government in the 1800s while Chief Shab-eh-nay was traveling to visit family in Kansas .

Nearly 1,300 acres of land were illegally auctioned during this period.

According to the text of the bill, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will deliver a quitclaim deed to the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band immediately upon signing by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

The MNR would then enter into a land management agreement with the Nation to maintain the park and keep it open to the public, in accordance with the legislation.

The bill was originally passed by the Illinois Senate in May 2024, but ultimately passed the Illinois House of Representatives 63-41 on Tuesday.

Shabbona Lake State Park has more than 1,500 acres of grassland and a 318-acre man-made fishing lake.

A wide variety of plants and birds can be seen on the property, which also has a campground and offers cross-country skiing and snowmobiling during the winter months.

In April 2024, the federal government officially recognized the tribal nation after the Interior Department placed portions of the northern Illinois Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation into a public trust, marking the first time that A nation was recognized in the State of Illinois. This parcel of land is located just northeast of Shabbona Lake State Park.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Department of the Interior’s recognition, the Northeast Parcel was transferred to the U.S. government, ensuring that the Potawatomi Nation of the Prairie Band could exercise sovereignty over the land.