History of Chicago Part 2: Resistance, Removal, Erasure

In the second episode of the series, Dr. Sola and his guests, Dr. Low (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, Ohio State University-Newark) and Dr. Karamanski (Loyola University-Chicago) tell the story of the indigenous people of Chicagoland from the War of 1812 through their violent removal from the region. Specific topics include the various origin stories of the Potawatomi; the willingness of tribes to accommodate and compromise with Americans; the Indian tribe as a construct of the US government; the Indian Removal Act of 1830; the Blackhawk war of 1832; the Treaty of Chicago of 1833; the phenomenon of "Treaty Chiefs," as seen in the cases of Billy Caldwell (British-Potawatomi) and Alexander Robinson (British-Otatwa); the unique story of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi; the development of Indian boarding schools, whose purpose was to destroy all aspects of indigenous culture and identity; the diverse perspectives of various Indian tribes and bands in their responses to the arrival of Americans; and the Native American perspective about the concept of land ownership.