 Berrien County Historical Association313 N. Cass St. - PO Box 261 Berrien Springs, MI 49103 News Release |
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04 August, 2006 Contact: Frances Porter, Executive Director Tele: (269) 471-1202 Potawatomi program at the Courthouse Museum Jason Wesaw of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will present a program on Leopold and Simon Pokagon at the Berrien County Historical Association's 1839 Courthouse Museum in Berrien Springs. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 10. The museum is located on Old US 31 (Cass Street) in Berrien Springs. Admission to the program is $1.00, or free to Historical Association members. Jason Wesaw is the cultural associate of the Pokagon Band. He has devoted his life to the study and preservation of the Potawatomi culture. His program, "The True Story of Leopold and Simon Pokagon" examines the lives and contributions of two famed Potawatomi leaders in southwest Michigan. Leopold Pokagon played an instrumental leadership role for his people during the federal government's Indian removal efforts of the 1830s. It was largely through his efforts that the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi won the right to stay in Michigan when most other bands were forced to remove to the West. Simon Pokagon, Leopold's son, became a favorite of white Americans. He spoke at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 and authored several books, but his credibility with his own people suffered. Jason Wesaw's presentation will focus on these two Potawatomi leaders and how their influence continues to the present time. The program is part of the Historical Association's ongoing "Thursdays at the Museum" lecture series for 2006. For more information, call the Berrien County Historical Association at (269) 471-1202. The Berrien County Historical Association's 1839 Courthouse Complex is located at 313 N. Cass Street (old US 31), in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It is the site of the Historic county seat and comprises the 1839 Courthouse, 1870s Sheriff's Residence, 1830 Murdock Log House, Bennett's Forge and 1870 Jail Plaza. -30- PHOTO CAPTIONS (Click on image to view a full size version.) | |
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A group of Potawatomi gathered at the Rush Lake Mission near Watervliet, 1906. |
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