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Show SHAFT TO MEMORY OF INDIANS Monument Erected as Tribute to Pot-tawattomies Pot-tawattomies Unveiled Near Plymouth, Ind. Plymouth. Tnd. The seventy-first anniversary of the removal of Chief Menominee and his band of S59 Potta-wattomies Potta-wattomies from Marshall county, Indiana, In-diana, was marked by the unveiling of the first monument ever erected to an Indian through state or federal appropriation. ap-propriation. The shaft is at Twin Lakes, five miles from Plymouth, and is in memory mem-ory to the aborigines that once held the Hoosier hunting grounds. The ceremonies were witnessed by hundreds. hun-dreds. The granite was unveiled by Miss Julia Quakano Pokagon of Hartford, Hart-ford, Mich., a granddaughter of the famous Potlawattomie chief, Pokagon, who died not long ago. The monument to the memory of the Poitawattomie Indians is the result re-sult of consistent work on the part osa Pottawattomie Monument. of Daniel McDonald of Plymouth, who, as a member of the Indiana legislature legisla-ture in 1907, secured an appropriation of $2,500 for the purpose. The site is one of the beauty spots of nature. It is near where the old Indian chapel was built, under the direction di-rection of Father Baden, in which Menominee and his band, who had embraced Christianity, worshiped" for many years. The monument was cut from Vermont granite. The pedestal is ten feet high, surmounted by the statue of an Indian seven feet high, in native costume. It is near the center of the Menominee reservation. The story which leads up to the monument's erection is briefly told. In 1832 a treaty was made with some Indian chiefs by which they ceded their lands to the United States for $14,000 and agreed to remove to Indian In-dian Territory within two years. Menominee refused to sign this treaty Dr release his land to the government. When the Indians who had signed the treaty were ready to remove another attempt was made to get the Menominee Menomi-nee lands. A council was called at Twin Lakes md after considerable discussion Col. Pepper, the Indian agent, told Chief Menominee that he would have to release re-lease his lands a.nd remove peaceably or be forcibly evicted. Then Menominee Menomi-nee arose, drew his blanket around him and with dignity and eloquence that would have done honor to famous Chief Logan, rebuked the white man for usurping the country. The council coun-cil adjourned without result. Later the Indians were accused of molesting the white men. They were surrounded by the military and forcibly for-cibly evicted. It was a sad scene. The village was wrecked. Mass was, sung in the little chapel by Father Baden, the first Catholic priest ordained or-dained in Indiana. On September 4, 1838, the procession proces-sion started south. Many Indians fell ill. The soldiers were unsuccessful and finally withdrew in favor of the priest. Father Baden fulfilled his mission mis-sion and his journey, hut on his return re-turn he died. His body now lies at Notre Dame. |
