Coalition fighting historic site budget cuts

Font Size:

By Kathy Kuhl | Sunday, July 20, 2008 |

ROCK ISLAND — The Sunday gathering of about 50 people at Black Hawk State Historic Site was casual: summer clothes, potluck food arranged on a table in the middle of a shelter, games, socializing and even the happy shrieks of a cockatiel named Gabby.

But the mood wasn’t all light among the Native American Coalition of the Quad-Cities and friends. Some conversation turned toward upcoming cultural events such as powwows, but there was more talk about the recent announcement that the Illinois State Historical Site budget might be slashed in half next year. Add to that the ensuing concern that cuts in staff at Black Hawk essentially would close the site.

“This doesn’t just affect us — it affects everyone who uses the park and Singing Bird Lodge,” said Coalition President Regina Tsosie, a Navaho national who lives in Moline.

If historic site staffing is eliminated, she said, the move would mean closing buildings and “the grass would just grow wild, the paths wouldn’t be maintained.”

When Tsosie told coalition members at the picnic that Black Hawk is Illinois’ only historic site with connections to Native Americans, Brenda Forari, of Rock Island, who had stepped out of the shelter to smoke, told everyone what she just had seen in the sky.

“Gina, this must be good, because a hawk flew over,” she said.

Tsosie and the whole group fell silent. Then Tsosie tapped her heart before speaking again.

The biggest concern that had coalition members signing petitions for Illinois officials such as Gov. Rod Blagojevich, House Speaker Michael Madigan, and Senate President Emil Jones Jr., is that the historic site’s museum would close with such a budget cut. Tsosie said this would deny visitors the chance to learn Native American history that happened right where their feet are planted.

Black Hawk State Historic Site she said, was land that was once the east side of Saukenuk, the mid-1700s to mid-1800s Sauk capital of 5,000 Sauk and Mesquakie (Fox) Indians.

“The displays here give people a sense of how the natives lived before the white people came,” she said. “They could grow anything in this fertile soil. There were expanses of cornfields. The people fished, too. Fish were plentiful.”

She also said protecting the site preserves sacred grounds. “When (Europeans) started plowing in this area, they brought up arrowheads and spearheads by the handful. There are burial mounds here, too.

“These kinds of Native American items can show up in auctions, and it’s very disrespectful. It’s against our ways. Many people don’t understand. We need to educate them,” Tsosie said.

Education is, in part, what the Native American Coalition of the Quad-Cities strives to provide. The group, which incorporated in 2007 and achieved its nonprofit status in April, also aims to bring together people both “native” and “non-native.” It includes 155 members and people from 27 Indian nations.

Some who came to the picnic fell into the “non-native” category.

“We came from Galesburg on $4-per-gallon gas,” Carol Smith said. “We got involved (with the coalition) when we started going to powwows, made friends, joined a drum circle and made more friends.”

Bob Smith added, “The people here don’t make distinctions. They’re so nice. We always feel welcome.”

He also said it was important to him to support the petitions to save Black Hawk State Historic Site. “I’ve been coming here for 64 years. I don’t want to see it closed down.”

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the Native American Coalition of the Quad Cities, call (309) 797-8779 or visit nativeamericancoalitionqc.org. To sign an online petition to save Black Hawk State Park, go to blackhawkpark.org.