Because Promontory Point was built of lakefill in 1924-1926 and is man-made, Promontory Point Conservancy acknowledges that Promontory Point is located and was built on the ancestral shores and waters of the Indigenous Nations of Illinois. In 1914, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago claiming that "made land" extending beyond the land boundaries of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago constitute Native shores and lands ceeded. These lands and waters have a deep historical significance, being the traditional homes to Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed and have endured challenges to their survival and cultural identity. We respectfully acknowldge that these ancestal lands and waters were originally inhabited by the Neshnabe Three Fires Confederacy (Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodewadmik (Potawatomi) Nations), the Illinois Confederation (Peoria, Kaskaskia and others) as well as other Tribal Nations that know this area as their ancestral homeland, including the Myaamia, Wea, Sauk, Meskwaki, Kickapoo, Mascouten, Ho-Chunk, Menominee and other Nations whose names have been lost due to the tragic consequences of genocide.
Despite the forced removal, displacement and oppression of the original inhabitants of this land, Chicago is still home to large First Peoples' communities, representing over 150 Indigenous Nations across North America.
Land acknowledgments should not be woke rhetorical gestures, but rather calls to learn, reflect and act. We invite each of our non-Indigenous colleagues to learn more about the forced removal of the First Peoples' communities from the State of Illinois and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their line of work. Indigenuity may be the only salvation of living relations and our harmed planet. We also encourage everyone to ask themselves how they may benefit from the continuation of settler colonialism, militarism and warfare. Confronting these realities allows us to break down our privileges and adopt anti-colonial practices that may one day help us to create a more equitable and justice society. To provide immediate assistance to Native American communities in Chicago, you may send donations to the Chicago’s American Indian Center here.
Despite the forced removal, displacement and oppression of the original inhabitants of this land, Chicago is still home to large First Peoples' communities, representing over 150 Indigenous Nations across North America.
Land acknowledgments should not be woke rhetorical gestures, but rather calls to learn, reflect and act. We invite each of our non-Indigenous colleagues to learn more about the forced removal of the First Peoples' communities from the State of Illinois and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their line of work. Indigenuity may be the only salvation of living relations and our harmed planet. We also encourage everyone to ask themselves how they may benefit from the continuation of settler colonialism, militarism and warfare. Confronting these realities allows us to break down our privileges and adopt anti-colonial practices that may one day help us to create a more equitable and justice society. To provide immediate assistance to Native American communities in Chicago, you may send donations to the Chicago’s American Indian Center here.