Illinois Public Radio

Statewide: Tribal nation designation brings hope and uncertainty

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published May 16, 2024 at 1:19 PM CDT

*A map of the 130 acres of land the Prairie Band purchased in DeKalb County that now makes up the tribe’s federally recognized reservation.*

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation recently became the first federally recognized tribal nation in the state. The government illegally sold the land from under Chief Shab-eh-nay around 1850.

The tribe had to spend $10 million over the last 20 years to repurchase the first 130 acres of the Shab-eh-nay Reservation, located in what is now DeKalb County.

But there remain questions among the local community about what the change could mean. Maria Gardner Lara has a report.

Also:

* Yvonne Boose introduces us to an artist with strong connections to the nation to learn more about the tribe's artistic culture and heritage.

Native American students dance at a summer camp in Chicago.

* Peter Medlin tells us about a new law that will require Illinois students learn about Native American history and the present.

* Rich Egger reports how Macomb is honoring the creator of the game that became Monopoly.

* We'll get an update on an agreement reached between anti-war protestors and Northwestern University and why it has become controversial.

* Tim Franklin with the Medill School of Journalism discusses newspapers increasingly turning to mail delivery.

* State veterinarian Mark Ernst explains how agriculture officials are dealing with bird flu and the threats to cattle.

* Celia Hack has a story on robots being used to weed farm fields.

* Jane Carlson of TriStates Public Radio takes us to the small village of Bishop Hill in western Illinois, where a church has been named one of the state's most endangered historic sites.