my dad, uncle & great grandpa with the Chief in 1952
A terrible tale emerges from our corner of the state. One of greed, deception and death. Chief Menominee and his band of peaceful, assimilated Pottawatomie's were forced off their reservation by armed cavalry in 1838, beginning the Trail of Death that led to Logansport, then west into Illinois, finally ending in the southwest. Several children and older members of the tribe died en route.
In their zeal to have white settlers on the Menominee Reservation, the government struck a deal after providing alcohol to younger members of the tribe. The Chief, who legitimately owned the land, and remaining tribe did not know what had happened. They gathered in their chapel, for they had converted to Catholicism, and were locked in by armed men until the death march began.
Simply put, their land was stolen. I'm no revisionist......check out the account yourself, a diary kept on the Trail of Death, along with other accounts, are found on line. To underscore the injustice, and to commemorate the "peaceful Chief", local citizens lobbied the state legislature to fund a monument, dedicated in 1909. A replica chapel was also to be constructed-but no one seems to know where those funds went.
As we approach the centennial of the dedication of the monument, we should contemplate the lasting effects this march had, not only upon the Pottawatomie, but also upon ourselves. Resentment, hate and sorrow can last generations. While I don't fully ascribe to "sins of the father" philosophy......there is something to be said of owning up to our collective, community ancestral role in this event.......and maybe it's time to ask forgiveness.
4 comments:
Do you think the State/County would allow the chapel to be built if funds could be raised? Would they maintain it...or would Wythougan Valley Preservation committ to maintaining it possibly?
I think that you MIGHT be able to get the dollars needed, but certainly it would come with the idea the state nor county would be responsible to maintian it. And, frankly, that may be a good thing.
Seriously, I believe the re-creation of the chapel is important, but I doubt the state, and particularly the county, would have any interest in funding it.
And where would it go? Next to the Chief, or on its original site?
HR
Is all evidence of the original chapel gone? Did it actually sit at the location of the historical marker? Is the land currently owned by the Childrens Camp? Lots of questions.......
I don't know if archaeological work has even been done to confirm the location. There is speculation that the chapel was on the north side of 12th road, but also on the south side, nearer the lake.
Sounds like a job for the history detectives!
HR
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