This Illinois state park hides the village where Native leaders planned their last resistance

The Council of Three Fires’ Final Illinois Gathering

In 1830, a quiet spot in Illinois saw the end of an era.

Rock Village, now part of Kankakee River State Park, hosted the last great council of the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa nations.

These tribes, known as the Council of Three Fires, met as white settlers pushed into their lands. Just three years later, they signed the Treaty of Chicago, giving up five million acres for empty promises.

The government forced them west to Kansas, though a few fled north. Only Chief Shaw-waw-nas-see stayed until his death.

His grave, marked by a boulder on Rock Creek trail, stands as a silent witness to this final chapter of Native presence in the Kankakee Valley.

Three Fires Nations Took Over Kankakee River Valley By 1770s

The Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa joined forces in the Council of Three Fires and took control of the Kankakee River valley by the 1770s.

The Potawatomi served as “keepers of the fire” in this team-up that started back in 796 AD. Before them, the Illini and Miami lived in this area during the 1670s and 1680s.

The river got its name from the Miami by 1685 as their numbers grew. Kickapoo and Mascouten tribes also lived in the valley during the 1700s.

Rock Village Became A Main Settlement On The River

Little Rock Village sat on the north bank of the Kankakee River, near where Rock Creek flows into the river in what’s now Kankakee River State Park.

The Potawatomi built this village as their main home in the area. Its spot along the river made travel easy and gave them plenty of food.

The village grew into an important meeting place for all three nations, where they traded, held ceremonies, and gathered.

Potawatomi Faced Hard Times After The War

Life got rough for the Potawatomi in the early 1800s. They couldn’t find enough food through hunting and farming to feed everyone.

With few options left, they started selling land to the U. S. government just to survive. White settlers rushed into Illinois, and state officials pushed to kick out all Native Americans.

The pressure grew in 1829 when the Potawatomi gave up some of their lands in northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin.

Leaders Met For One Last Time In 1830

In 1830, Rock Village hosted the final big council of the three allied nations.

Chief Shaw-Waw-Nas-See, respected by many tribes in the region, told his people to make peace with the settlers to keep good relations. Leaders from all three nations came together to talk about their growing problems.

They knew white settlers kept moving in and the government wanted them gone, but they hoped to find a way to protect their people and lands.

War With Black Hawk Changed Everything In 1832

A short but bloody fight broke out from April to August 1832 between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk. Many Potawatomi chiefs helped the U.S. Army during this war, hoping to stay on their lands longer.

This plan failed badly. Tribal leaders worried the whole tribe would face punishment if any warriors joined Black Hawk.

On May 1, 1832, at a meeting outside Chicago, Potawatomi leaders said anyone who helped Black Hawk would be a traitor.

Potawatomi Chiefs Said No To The Rebellion

Chiefs Shabonna and Waubonsie met with Black Hawk in mid-May and told him clearly they wouldn’t fight with him.

When Black Hawk reached the Kishwaukee River near today’s Rockford, Illinois, he learned the Potawatomi offered little support. Chief Shabonna even rode to white settlements to warn people about possible attacks.

Despite these official stands, some Potawatomi warriors still joined Black Hawk’s forces, creating more distrust from the U. S. government.

Government Started Planning Removal In Early 1833

The Office of Indian Affairs began making plans to remove all Potawatomi from their lands in early 1833. They picked Chicago as the place to work out a treaty since it had grown into an important trading center.

On April 6, 1833, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Herring told Chicago Indian Agent Owen that Congress approved $10,000 for the treaty talks. Workers built a large open-air meeting space in Chicago for the upcoming talks.

Native Leaders Signed Away Their Homeland In September

On September 26, 1833, leaders from the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa nations signed the Treaty of Chicago.

This deal forced them to give up their remaining 5 million acres across Illinois, Wisconsin Territory, and Michigan Territory.

In return, the U.S. government promised money and new lands west of the Mississippi River in what would become Kansas.

The treaty said all Native Americans must leave the area within three years.

Five Million Acres Changed Hands In One Day

The 1833 treaty marked the last huge piece of Native American land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi to become U. S. property. This fulfilled a major goal of President Andrew Jackson and his plan to remove Indians.

The government offered lots of money for the land, but the true cost to the tribes went far beyond dollars. The treaty clearly stated that all Indians living on the Michigan lands must leave within three years.

Tribes Forced To Leave Their Home Lands By 1838

Most Potawatomi left the Kankakee area by the end of the 1830s.

When they left in 1838, a man named Le Vasseur brought many French Canadians from Quebec to the Bourbonnais Township area, changing who lived in the region.

Between 1835 and 1838, the U.S. government actively removed Potawatomi from their Wisconsin lands too.

Most Wisconsin Potawatomi went first to Iowa and later to Kansas, living on reservations given to them by the government.

One Chief Stayed Behind Until His Death

While most of his people headed west, Chief Shaw-waw-nas-see remained behind. Too old and sick to make the difficult journey west, he stayed on the land he’d always known.

Before he died, he asked his family and friends not to bury him in the ground but instead place his body in a specially built log cabin, following an old tribal custom.

Today, visitors to Kankakee River State Park can find a boulder marking his grave along the nature trail at Rock Creek, a lasting reminder of the people who once called this land home.

Visiting Kankakee River State Park Historic Area, Illinois

Kankakee River State Park Historic Area at 5314 West Route 102 in Bourbonnais preserves the site where Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa leaders held their final council in 1830 before forced removal west.

The park is free and open daily 6:30 a. m. to 8:00 p. m.

Walk the 3-mile Rock Creek trail to find Chief Shaw-waw-nas-see’s memorial boulder. Groups of 25+ must register two weeks ahead, and metal detecting needs a permit from the park office.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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