Nearly one year after the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation 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 situated 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 rectifying an historic wrong in transferring ownership of the park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
“We are correcting a nearly 200-year-old injustice today by returning this land to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation,” State Rep. Will Guzzardi, who cosponsored the legislation, said in a statement. “Forcibly ejecting the indigenous population from the state began generations of trauma still felt today. I am proud to join indigenous advocates and members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in committee and on the House floor to pass this bill. We’ve got a lot more work to do to correct the egregious wrongs of past generations, but sending this land back to its rightful inhabitants is one step closer to honoring and supporting the fight for indigenous rights and protections.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the legislation would require the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to maintain the land as a public conservation area. A spokesperson told the newspaper when the bill was introduced that the state park would remain open to the public.
“175 years ago, our land was 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 has taken a meaningful step toward righting that wrong. We are deeply grateful for the leadership, dedication and commitment of the Illinois Legislature and the many individuals who worked tirelessly to make this possible.
According to federal officials, Shab-eh-nay Reservation was illegally auctioned off by the United States government in the 1800s while Chief Shab-eh-nay traveled to visit family in Kansas.
Nearly 1,300 acres of land were illegally auctioned off during that time.
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According to the text of the bill, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will deliver a quitclaim deed to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation immediately upon Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.
The DNR would then enter into a land management agreement with the Nation to maintain the park and keep it open to the public, according to the legislation.
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The bill had initially passed the Illinois Senate in May 2024, but finally passed the Illinois House 63-41 on Tuesday.
Shabbona Lake State Park boasts more than 1,500 acres of prairie land and a 318-acre man-made fishing lake.
A wide variety of plant life and birds can be observed on the property, which also has a campground and offers cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months.
In April 2024, the federal government officially recognized the tribal nation after the Department of the Interior placed portions of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s northern Illinois reservation into a public trust, marking the first time a Nation had ever been recognized in the state of Illinois. That tract of land is located just to the northeast of Shabbona Lake State Park.
Under provisions of the recognition by the Interior Department, the northeastern parcel was transferred to the U.S. government, ensuring the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation could exercise sovereignty over the land.
