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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
The Prairie Band Potawatomi will receive the Shabbona Lake State Park in DeKalb County, Ill., following a long legislative road.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 867, authorizing the state Department of Natural Resources to transfer the 1,500-acre park. The transfer follows a 130-acre trust acquisition in 2024 that made the Prairie Band the first federally recognized tribe in Illinois. The acreage in question marked a portion of the tribe’s original reservation, which was sold to private owners in 1849.
The sale of the reservation land came after Prairie Band Chief Shab-eh-nay left the property to visit another part of the tribe. While gone, the land was declared abandoned by the Illinois General Assembly and sold. The tribe has since fought to restore the land, which includes a portion of the state park, to their stewardship.
“This moment reflects the power of collaboration and the shared desire to build a future rooted in justice and respect,” Prairie Band Potawatomi Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said in a statement provided to the Associated Press. “Illinois has shown true courage and vision by leading the way in the Land Back movement, demonstrating that healing and reconciliation are possible.”
Senate Bill 867 authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to enter into a land management agreement with the Prairie Band. The agreement includes a provision requiring the Prairie Band to keep the land open for public recreation. The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights. Walker said in a statement provided to Capitol News Illinois that the legislation puts the state on the “right side of history.”
According to the Capital News Illinois story, the tribe has no plans to develop the land for a casino or any other commercial use. State law would require a governor to seek approval of the legislature before creating a compact with the tribe, as well.
“[We are] fostering a partnership with indigenous communities and returning what was wrongfully acquired,” Walker said. “With the support of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and members of the Prairie Band, this transfer is not only a common-sense solution, it’s the right thing to do.”
