Not far from where a Potawatomi woman named Archange Ouilmette was awarded 1,280 acres of land by treaty in the 19th century—encompassing parts of present-day Wilmette and Evanston—her descendant Sharon Hoogstraten displayed detailed photos in Skokie of Potawatomi people wearing traditional regalia and participating in ceremonial dance.
The “Dancing For Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium” exhibit at both the Skokie Heritage Museum and the Devonshire Cultural Center, running through June 3, is Hoogstraten’s way of connecting present and future generations to the generations before, including those living on Potawatomi ancestral lands in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin who were forcibly removed to Kansas during the “Trail of Death” in 1838, Hoogstraten said.
The removal scattered the Potawatomi people and disrupted their culture, but Hoogstraten, whose Dutch surname comes from her father and status as a Citizen Potawatomi comes from her Potawatomi mother, said they have been resilient in maintaining their identity.
“Native families lost those cultural connections,” she said.
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“It’s important they’re still here, that they make regalia, honor their ancestors through ceremony, and dance is the biggest part of ceremony,” she said. “The Potawatomi have hung onto these traditions and the importance of the connection to the ancestors,” she said. “There’s respect and honoring of all the ancestors.”
Her photos show Potawatomi women, men and children wearing their own regalia, which she said is worn for pow wows and some spiritual practices.
“Regalia is based on tradition, but it’s always evolving–it’s that person’s story,” she said. A person might not know how to sew or bead, but they can work with the person making the regalia for them to choose colors or items of significance, she observed.
For example, one woman received a cancer diagnosis and changed her regalia to what is known as a jingle dress, or medicine dress for healing, Hoogstraten said. A jingle dress has 365 small metal cones sewn onto it that make a jingle sound when the wearer dances.
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In the 304-page book that contains 272 color photos Hoogstraten made of Potawatomi people in their regalia, with stories and reflections, she wrote, as quoted in a Skokie Park District description, “Presenting the faces, stories, and regalia of our Potawatomis will contribute to a better understanding of our transformed place in America and provide a road map to the future. For us, there will be no cultural loss defined by assimilation. Our children’s children will see the symbolism of our time, just as we look back at our ancestors. My objective is to create a compelling visual record that will become a permanent archive for our place on the timeline of Potawatomi history and American history.”
Hoogstraten, who was born in Michigan and has lived in Chicago for decades, said the ancestral Potawatomi lands clustered around the southern half of Lake Michigan, from roughly Holland, Michigan on the east, circling around the lake in Indiana and Illinois and going as far north as about Green Bay, Wisconsin, though trading took place as far north as Canada.
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Her own ancestors were not removed from the Chicago area in the Trail of Death, but she said they were “made unwelcome,” and relocated to Kansas around the same time.
She noted the Potawatomi are making proactive efforts to involve the younger generation in the culture, with many children being taught to dance as soon as they can walk. At pow wows, there are contests with sizable purses for different types of dancers, she said, and the recognition and the prizes help to keep young people engaged.
“People have come a long way in taking pride in their ancestry,” she said.
Exhibit hours, book info
The “Dancing For Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium” exhibit can be seen at the following times and locations.
Skokie Heritage Museum, 8031 Floral Ave., Skokie. March 1–June 3 Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays: 12–4 p.m.
Devonshire Cultural Center, 4400 Greenwood Stl, Skokie. March 1–May 5. Sundays: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; Mondays-Thursdays: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fridays: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturdays: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
In addition, Hoogstraten has produced a 304-page book with her photos, handwritten notes and commentary. Information is available at https://www.oupress.com/9781733674423/dancing-for-our-tribe/