Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a law returning Shabbona State Park, about 1,500 acres in DeKalb County, to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
The decision, made on Friday, comes nearly a year after the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation became Illinois’ first federally recognized tribal nation.
Until then, Illinois had been one of 15 states without a federally recognized tribe.
The new law aims to correct a “historic injustice” from 175 years ago when the U.S. government auctioned off nearly 1,300 acres of Prairie Band land, most of which now makes up Shabbona State Park, while Chief Shab-eh-nay was visiting family in Kansas.
The state later acquired the land with federal grant funds between 1969 and 1978 to create the state park.
Joseph Rupnick, the Prairie Band Chairman and the fourth-generation great-grandson of Chief Shab-eh-nay, called the move a step toward “healing and reconciliation.”
He said that returning the land is essential for recognizing the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s identity and presence in Illinois.
Rupnick praised Illinois for showing “courage and vision” in supporting the Land Back movement and said the tribe is proud to reclaim the land as their home.
Because of legal complexities in federal treaties and land ownership, this transfer is considered unique and unlikely to set a direct precedent for similar cases nationwide.
However, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, one of the bill’s sponsors, suggested that this could inspire similar land returns across the country.
Guzzardi said that the Land Back movement is growing, but noted that each situation is different.
The Prairie Band and the state are now working on a land management agreement to ensure the park remains open to the public and to improve its infrastructure.
Guzzardi emphasized that visitors will likely see no visible changes to the park, which will continue to serve as a public space.
In 2001, the U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed that the auction of Chief Shab-eh-nay’s land had been illegal because Congress had not approved it, as required.
Last April, the Interior Department placed about 130 acres — about 10% of the original reservation land — into trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, granting the tribe sovereignty over the land and allowing it to qualify for federal benefits and protections.
The tribal nation had already spent $10 million over the years to regain the land before transferring it to the government for trust status.
Some homes on the property are not owned by tribal members. Tribal leaders have promised to work with homeowners and the state to amend property deeds, giving homeowners full ownership rights without conditions.
This change would require an act of Congress due to the way the property deeds were originally written.
State Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, another sponsor of the bill, called the transfer a “landmark” decision that fosters a stronger partnership with Indigenous communities and corrects a historical wrong.
He described the transfer as not only practical but also morally right.
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