Trail of Death caravan passes through Logansport

Sep. 20—A caravan following the route of the Trail of Death stopped at the Logansport Memorial Hospital Monday afternoon to honor the members of the Potawatomi who lost their lives on the trail in 1838.

A marker on the northwest corner of the hospital's lawn memorializes the spot where the Potawatomi camped for three days early in their journey. It served as a meeting point for those in the caravan, some who traveled from California, Boston and Nevada to be a part of the journey.

The Trail of Death consisted of the forced removal of over 800 Potawatomi, the largest removal in Indiana history.

Over 40 Native Americans lost their lives during the two-month trek from Twin Lakes to Kansas.

On the second day, Sept. 5, the Potawatomi were marched by gunpoint down Rochester's Main Street.

That night the first death occurred, a Potawatomi baby.

The first caravan took place in 1988, said George Godfrey, a resident of Athens, Illinois. The caravan was organized by former Fulton County Historical Society president Shirley Willard to mark the 150th anniversary of the Trail of Death. The caravan has met up every five years since.

Doug Sparks, a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, was among the group of nearly 30 people with the caravan. In 2022, he decided to walk the Trail of Death.

As his sabbatical approached, he prayed about how he would use that time.

"I was looking for something that was connected to the land upon which I live and serve," he said. "I was driving to Logansport on a November Sunday (in 2020) and came across one of those signs that said the Potawatomi Trail of Death. It took me a year and a half to plan. On March 20th of 2022 I began the walk. I walked from Twin Lakes all the way to Saint Mary's Mission in Sugar Creek, Kansas, over a six-week period."

Sparks found shelter at different churches as he made his journey to Kansas.

"I was amazed by the hospitality of people from Indiana all the way to Kansas," he said. "I had a lot of time to reflect and pray on what our ancestors did to these dear people who were here long before the settlers. I reflected on it as a pilgrimage of lament."

He is currently working on a book about his trek.

"It is important for us as the dominant culture to be aware of what our forbearers did and also to recognize we have some responsibility to look at healing and restoration and reconciliation and what that might look like varies from place to place," said Sparks. "I considered it an opportunity for me to at least draw some attention and offer some opportunity for reflection for the people who are entrusted into my care."

Bob Whistler, a Texas resident and legislator for Citizen Potawatomi Nation District 3, was part of the caravan. He is working to bring education about Native Americans into Texas schools.

"Texas has been very anti-Native American for many, many years," he said. "Three years ago, a group of us got together—there was about 70 of us representing educators as well as members of 20 nations. Collectively, we decided we were going to put together a Native American Indian studies class for the high school students."

Whistler said he was one of the people presenting the program to the state board of education in 2020. They were turned down but after revising the program they will return before the board in November. with hopes that their educational program will be adopted by Texas.

This is Whistler's first time joining the caravan.

"We need to get people interested in the trail again and to learn about," he said. "It's a way for me to meet other members of the other nations."

Godfrey said he is trying to recruit young people and Citizen Potawatomi members to be part of the caravan. Many of those who made up the caravan were older white people.

"I received an email a few days ago saying that because of their age they can't do this anymore," he said. "They want to but they just can't."

Godfrey said the caravan is an opportunity to bring history that he felt was becoming lost back to the forefront.

"I'm able to connect a lot with people who had ancestors on the trail," he said. "It's a reawakening and its allowed me to tell other people about what happened."