Treaty of Prairie du Chien
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The Treaty of Prairie du Chien may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin between the United States, representatives from the Sioux, Sac and Fox, Menominee, Ioway, Winnebago and the Anishinaabeg (Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi) Native American peoples.
[edit] 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien
The first treaty of Prairie du Chien was signed by William Clark and Lewis Cass for the United States and representatives of the Sioux, Sac and Fox, Menominee, Ioway, Winnebago and the Anishinaabeg on August 19, 1825 and proclaimed on February 6, 1826.
Due to the overall tribal movements toward the western direction, the Sioux Nation were in often in conflict with their neighbours. This treaty begins by establishing peace between the Sioux and their neighbours: Chippewa, Sac and Fox, and Ioway peoples. The treaty continues by demarcating formal boundaries between each of the tribal groups, often called the "Prairie du Chien Line." For tribes who rarely had rigid boundaries, the Prairie du Chien Line served as a hindrance due to a provision in the treaty stating that tribes were to hunt within the acknowledged limits. The series of Prairie du Chien Line served as the land cession boundaries in later treaties. Due to the vast scope of the Treaty of Prairie du Chien and not all of the necessary tribes were present at the signing of this treaty, the treaty also made a provision for additional councils to be held the following year in 1826. Along with these additional councils, the Chippewa agreed to additional meetings.
[edit] 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien
The second treaty of Prairie du Chien was signed by General John McNeil, Colonel Pierre Menard, and Caleb Atwater for the United States and representatives of the Council of Three Fires (also known as the "United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians") on July 29, 1829 and proclaimed on January 2, 1830. This treaty ceded to the United States an area in northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin, as well as the area currently occupied by the cities of Wilmette, Illinois and Evanston, Illinois. This treaty established reservation areas in western Illinois for the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, who were subsequently removed to Kansas. This treaty also preserved the rights of the Council of Three Fires to hunt in the ceded territory.
