.mt 10 .hm 3 .pn 1 .h1Grayso Enterprise Ltd Firs N Seria Rts .h212 July 1989 Copyrigh 1989 .h3Page #. 1,055 words .fo EKWABE WATCHIN OVER Writte an Photographe b Jun Grayson Th statu ha name "Ekwabet mean "watchin over". Th triba council o th Potawatom Natio chos it. Th namin ceremon o th St Charle Potawatomi India statu finall too plac o Thursday Jun 28 1989 whe smal grou o Potawatomi Indian i ful dres regali gathere a th foo o th statu jus nort o th Mai Stree bridge Th ceremon include ritua prayer an dancing No th statu i sacre t th Potawatomi India Nation "Ove th year w ca expec t se India familie com int St Charle t visi th statue, sai Jame Dowd St Charle historia an write o severa book abou Indians Accordin t Potawatomi ora history "w wer alway here i th Fo Rive Valley However som historian believ tha th forbear o al o th America Indian entere th unpopulate Ne Worl 10,00 t 20,00 year ag fro Asi acros th Berin Strai int Alaska A th glacia ic fro tha las Ic Ag receded streams flowers meadows an forest appeare i al thei grandeur Wisconsi an Michiga lake teame wit waterfow an wil rice Th northeaster Woodlan Indian, whic include th Potawatomi entere ou writte histor wit report o Frenc explorer wh se u vas tradin system eve befor th Pilgrim lande a Plymout Roc i 1620 B 175 th sem- nomadi village o th Potawatomi stretche fro th Roc Rive o th west sout t Peoria an eas t Lak Michiga lon befor an whit settler entere th area However a th Europea immigrant fro th Atlanti coas continue thei relentles westwar advanc ove th Appalachia mountain an int th America heartland borde clashe wit th Indian inevitabl ensued Th lon year o th India war culminate i th defea o th Indians Multipl peac treatie force the t ced al claim t thei Illinoi land an leav th bank o th beautifu Fo Rive wher the ha live peacefull fo centuries. Shabn (Shabonna) peac chie an spokesma fo th Potawatomi wa bor i Michiga i 177 an die i 1859 Alway tru frien t th firs whit settler i th Fo Rive Valley h observed "I m youthfu days hav see larg herd o buffal o thes prairie bu the ar her n more Fo hundred o mile n whit ma live but no tradin post an settler ar foun throughou th country an i fe year th smok fro thei cabin wil ascen fro ever grove....Th re ma mus leav th lan o hi yout an fin ne hom i th fa west Th armie o th white ar withou number lik th sand o th sea." Th firs Potawatomi India statu i St Charle wa installe i Potawatomi Par an dedicate i 1915 Tha statu wa vandalize an destroye i 196 an onl th hea remain i th St Charle Historica Societ museum I 1985 Willia Ber o th St Charle Rotar Clu suggeste ne communit servic projec t th Rotar members replac th India statue Suc a ambitiou projec wa then possibl becaus nationall famou sculpto Gu Bellaver ne St Charle residen an Rotar Clu member offere t donat muc o hi wor o th statue. Th projec snowballe t captur th imaginatio o th whol community St Charle busines leader forme specia committe t rais mone fo th statu an guid th projec t completion Cas donation eventuall exceede $85,000 Th valu o additiona voluntee material an service i incalculable Th India Statu Dedicatio Ceremon too plac Ma 22 1988 a th foo o th statue Communit leader spoke Schoo childre rea winnin essay abou th occasion Som Potawatomi Indian attende a honore guests Accordin t Jame Dowd th Potawatomi Indian fee tha th statu i grea hono fo the an ha helpe reunit th fou survivin band o th Potawatomi India Natio a the participate i th ceremonie o 198 an 1989 Loui Shepard Secretar o th Executiv Counci o th Fores Count Potawatomi Communit wrot t th peopl o St Charle i lette publishe i th St Charle Chronicle "Th Potawatomi peopl ar extremel gratefu fo you untirin effort an devotio yo al hav demonstrate i relatio t th honore statu o ou behalf.....I ha alway bee custo o our t shar an t liv i peace harmony an balanc wit al tha th creato ha give hi children Ou ancestra huntin ground an homelan shal b somewha restore b you gestur o thi grea hono yo besto upo th Potawatomi Nation Th spirit o bot ou ancestor wil receiv grea satisfactio knowin tha ou heart an ou mind hav onc agai crosse path i peac an harmony..... An seriou studen o histor realize tha th onl constan i histor i change Peopl an population shift Nation com an go W kno tha th Potawatomi wer her tw hundre year ago W d no kno wh wil b i thi beautifu Fo Valle tw hundre year fro now I hi speec a th dedicatio o th statu o Ma 22 1988 Mayo Fre Norri pu histor i perspectiv whe h said "Ou loca museu show ho tw grea peopl walke differen road t th sam spo an how wit th sam ideals the forme communit o people village cit t rais thei familie o th rive bluf an i th prairie o th Fo Valley Th histor o thi groun w stan o i lon an continuin proces o al th peopl wh passe thi wa befor u an lef memorie o themselve an thei words." Time lik a ever-rollin stream, Bear al it son away; The fly forgotten a dream Die a th openin day. -Isaa Watts 1719 St Charle ha no forgotten An that perhaps ha mad difference. ##### Jun Grayso i freelanc write an photographer Sh ha live i St Charle fo 2 year wit he husband Dr Richar Grayson The hav fou childre an eigh grandchildren Sh i als registere nurs wh assist he husban i hi medica office #####