A New Slogan
for Shabbona
Fish 'n Chips
Here's that
story again. The injuns are coming. There's
casino chips in them there hills around Shabbona Lake State
Park. Every couple of years, like a lunar eclipse, the
Native American claim for land deeded and treatied to the
Potawatomi chief Shabbona makes the local headlines and
stirs the coffee discussions in area restaurants.
"Not by the hair
of my chinny-chin-chin," cries U.S. Speaker of the House,
Dennis Hastert, who is joined by a chorus of politicians
eager for a popular battle cry. There will be no casino in
Shabbona, Illinois, they say.
Nothing so
degrading as a casino should interrupt the fine fishing at
the lake, they say. Those crazy Indians should take their
sinful gambling to some federal land outside of Illinois,
they say.
Now, there's
a good chance that Shabbona, himself, would be opposed to
gambling. Due to his relationship with Tecumseh,
before and during the War of 1812 era, it's quite possible
that Shabbona would have been influenced by the spiritual
teachings of Tecumseh's prophet brother, Tenskwata, who
preached against vices, especially those of the whites. But
it seems that today's Potawatomi leaders are a lot like our
leaders down in Springfield. They see gambling as a revenue
source for the health, education and welfare of their
people.
It's kind of
ironic that among Shabbona's last words upon realizing that
his land had been taken from him were, "We are all alike.
All alike!"
If you pick
up a copy of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
guide to state parks, you'll learn that Shabbona Lake State
Park was 'named after an Indian chief who briefly lived
there.'
There's a
little more to the story than that. Shabni saw to it
that his village welcomed white settlers to the area.
He served as a guide for those in need of such services.
He worked to prevent the killing of some soldiers and their
families during the Fort Dearborn Massacre. He not
only circumvented Black Hawk's attempt to rally an
allegiance during the Sac war of 1832 but he and a son rode
ponies to death warning many white settlers of impending
danger when the rumors of war began.
For his
actions, Shabni, or Shabbona, was given the title of "Friend
of the Whites." He was also 'given' (again) his land that
was treatied to the Potawatomi in the 1829 Prairie Du Chein
Treaty. He was even invited, as a guest of honor, by
Abraham Lincoln to the Lincoln-Douglas debate held in
Ottawa.
But having
the title of "Friend of the Whites" wasn't much good for
Shabbona among Native Americans not in his band. His
people were forced, at gunpoint, to leave their homes for
Beardstown, Illinois in 1837 to join other Potawatomi in the
Trail of Death march to Iowa where they eventually ended up
on a reservation near Mayetta, Kansas.
Shabbona,
himself, survived numerous assassination attempts by those
loyal to Black Hawk. A son was not so fortunate.
He was murdered in revenge of Shabbona's title, "Friend of
the Whites."
Because he
made several trips from his home in Illinois to his people
in Iowa and Kansas -- to try and help ease their suffering
-- Shabbona's land was declared 'abandoned' and taken from
him. He found that out after arriving home, with his
wife and children, only to be chastised and chased away by
settlers who had moved into his land.
Some good
people of Morris remembered why he was called, "Friend of
the Whites," and provided him with a cabin to live out his
final days.
The emotional
chord of the Potawatomi claim to their land in Shabbona will
certainly be the casino. The issue, however, is
whether they have a legal entitlement to the land.
It's my
opinion that unless there was an act of the U.S. Congress
that negated the Treaty of 1829 (and there wasn't) then the
Potawatomi have a legal and rightful claim to the land.
That opinion is shared by many legal experts who also
believe that the State of Illinois should negotiate in good
faith with the Potawatomi to settle the issue before the
Interior Department has to make a ruling.
Perhaps, in
good faith, the Potawatomi would agree to share gambling
revenues with all DeKalb County schools, and since I'm being
idealistic, maybe that shared revenue could be used for
property tax relief.
There are
many who live in and near Shabbona who don't think the
casino would be a bad deal. Lake Shabbona is either a
sleeping giant of economic development or its a white
elephant. Sure lots of people fish at the lake but
there has been little or no economic development in Shabbona
since the state park opened. I lived in Shabbona
before the park opened, during Florence Cook's era of
principal of Shabbona High School. The downtown area
was certainly more vibrant back then, than it is now.
But there I
go, joining the chorus of people discussing a side issue to
the real questions at hand:
Did the
United States government give its word to Shabbona and his
people regarding the land now in dispute? Was the
United States government true to its word? Is keeping
your word the right thing to do? Isn't never the only time
its never too late to do the right thing?
I believe
DeKalb County's leaders should join those in Springfield to
negotiate in good faith with the Potawatomi as the laws
require. Those directly impacted should be justly
compensated. Negotiate in good faith and I believe the
Potawatomi will do likewise and be fair with DeKalb County
residents with whatever they decide to do with their land.
Mac McIntyre
Submitted
1-19-04
How will this impact people who live on the land that is
disputed? Will they be compensated? Forced to move? We need
more information here. Thanks.
Anonymous
Editor's Note: I believe most of the land involved
is contained on the state park and at Chief Shabbona Forest
Preserve. Other land in the area in dispute has
options-to-purchase from the Potawatomi so it would appear
that the sellers are willing. I sent your request for
more information to the Potawatomi administration at Mayetta
Kansas. Perhaps they will offer their perspective.
