Chairman Joseph Rupnick (center) stands with other Nation members after signing over 130 acres in DeKalb County in trust to the federal government, which then set it aside as a federal Indian reservation — the first in Illinois
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Chicago tour guides often share the origin of the city’s name, shikaakwa, which means “striped skunk” or “onion” in the Algonquin language, after the pungent wild onions that once blanketed these lands. You don’t need to look very far in Illinois to see the legacy of the many tribal nations that first lived here, but until recently there was not a single federally recognized Indian reservation in the state.
By contrast, Illinois’ neighbors Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa all have multiple federal Indian reservations. This discrepancy has been a grave injustice to many Nations, including the people of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, whom I serve as Tribal Council chairman.
That all changed last week when the U.S. Department of the Interior placed portions of the Shab-eh-nay Reservation land, in DeKalb County, into trust for Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, making it the only federally recognized Tribal Nation in Illinois, and making Illinois the 35th state with a federally recognized Indian reservation.
This decision comes 175 years after the land was stolen from my fourth great-grandfather, the highly revered Chief Shab-eh-nay. In 1849, when Chief Shab-eh-nay traveled from his home reservation in DeKalb to visit his family in Kansas, the U.S. government illegally auctioned off more than 1,280 acres of his land near the village of Shabbona in southern DeKalb County.
Ever since our land was stolen from us, Prairie Band has sought to reclaim what is rightfully ours and continue our history as an original part of DeKalb County. In fact, starting in 2004 we bought a parcel of land on our original reservation, and over the course of 15 years we paid nearly $10 million in total to repurchase, parcel by parcel, a total of 130 acres of reservation land that already legally belonged to us.
By accepting the transfer of deeds from us and placing these 130 acres into trust, the U.S. Department of the Interior has put the government on a path to correct a historical injustice, giving generations of Potawatomi the opportunity to cultivate economic self-sufficiency in our homeland. This confirms the land as “Indian country” and solidifies jurisdictional boundaries, ensuring that the Nation can exercise sovereignty over the land.
Though this is a milestone for Native nations who are fighting for rights, recognition and restitution in states across America, we have yet to see the rightful return of land stolen from us.
That’s a process we’re still pursuing at the state of Illinois and through Congress — and as we do, we have publicly agreed that all current homeowners on the remaining reservation land will continue to retain title to their land and to live in their homes undisturbed. Because no one understands what it feels like to lose the place you call home better than Indians.
Reclaiming our land has been our life’s work for so many years. Now that we have reclaimed a portion of it, our people plan to thoughtfully and deliberately evaluate potential uses for the land before making any decisions.
We appreciate that current residents have questions. As part of this process, we intend to engage with stakeholders and community members to ensure transparency and collaboration throughout the process.
Indian tribal governments have jurisdiction within their reservations over criminal law enforcement over Indians (concurrent with federal government); civil regulatory authority over business activities; environmental and natural resource management; hunting and fishing; education; and social welfare. We will be present and attentive, and oversee a seamless transition of public services.
The continuity of public safety is very important to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. That’s why we may seek to establish a Memorandum of Agreement with local law enforcement to ensure effective coordination and provision of law enforcement services.
The establishment of reservation lands in Illinois is unprecedented. This land is our ancestral home — it’s sacred to us, and any future plans will honor that history.
Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick is Tribal Council Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
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