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The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has embarked on a significant effort to reestablish the only federal Indian reservation in Illinois, solidifying their governance over the land. This move carries implications for various areas such as criminal justice, climate, and environmental jurisdiction.
After years of purchasing land in northern Illinois where the Shab-eh-nay Reservation formerly stood, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation transferred 130 acres of that land to the Department of Interior (DOI) last week. This transfer enacts the legal establishment of tribal governance, providing access to benefits like tax credits, federal contract preferences, and land use exemptions.
Chairman Joseph Rupnick, a fourth-generation great-grandson of Chief Shab-eh-nay, expressed, “Now those lands are subject to our laws, our jurisdiction, and the nation determines what — if any — actions will happen on those lands.”
In the early 18th century, Indigenous nations in the Midwest, including the Prairie Band Potawatomi, lost significant land to the expanding United States through conflicts and skewed treaties. The 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien reserved land in present-day northern Illinois for Chief Shab-eh-nay and the Prairie Band until it was illegally taken in 1849.
Over the years, the Prairie Band Potawatomi have been working diligently to reclaim their lands, striving to right historical wrongs. Recent federal legislation aims to address the seizure of Potawatomi land, offering settlements and opportunities to repurchase more land around the original reservation.
Representative Lauren Underwood acknowledges the significance of this step, stating, “The decision to put portions of the Shab-eh-nay Reservation into trust is an important step to returning the land that is rightfully theirs.”
Efforts to restore the Prairie Band Potawatomi’s land rights extend to the state level as well. Illinois State Representative Mark Walker is backing a bill to transfer Shabbona Lake State Park to the tribe, granting them jurisdiction over the area.
As the tribe begins to consider how to use the newly acquired land, the DOI emphasizes the importance of this transfer in strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination, preserving tribal homelands and ways of life.
Reflecting on this momentous occasion, Chairman Rupnick shares, “To have it actually happen today is amazing.”
