INDIAN CONFERENCE SET FOR OCTOBER IN SHAWNEE FOREST

HARRISBURG, Ill. -- The plan is still on.

As many as 50,000 Native Americans plan to gather in the Shawnee National Forest in the fall.

"The Shawnee Indian leaders still want to meet here," John Taylor, a Shawnee forester who works with forest special-use permits, said Tuesday.

"We've talked to people, we've taken statements -- for and against -- and we're about ready to make a decision," he said.

Shawnee Indian planners for "Tecumseh's Dream -- An Historic Event" have requested permission to conduct a four-day meeting in a 700-acre area of the 277,000-acre forest in Southern Illinois.

The Shawnee Forest was chosen because of its central location and because Tecumseh was a member of the Shawnee tribe.

"This would be one of the largest gatherings ever in the forest," Taylor said.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 11 through 14.

Part of the approval process involves public comments concerning the proposal, Taylor said.

Most comments have been positive, he said, adding that the more than 200 comments will be turned over to Illinois and Washington officials.

Environmental concerns

The environment has been a primary concern.

Some people have expressed concern about the number of people and what 50,000 people over four days would do to the environment. Others are concerned about traffic. The event is not open to tourists, and there will be no vendors and no formal dancers.

It will be open to members of all tribes.

Indian organizers of the event, including leaders from the Ute tribe in Colorado and the Cherokee tribe in Alabama, toured several potential sites last year.

"They favor the Lake of Egypt Recreation area," Taylor said. The area is at the south end of Lake of Egypt and is relatively isolated and seldom used.

The focus of the gathering is to discuss matters that affect Native Americans.

One topic is how to achieve economic independence for Native Americans.

Other discussions will address historical inaccuracies in textbooks; the possibility of establishing a national holiday to honor Native American leaders, both past and present; civil and constitutional rights of Native Americans; and pros and cons of various forms of tribal governments.

Tecumseh predicted the New Madrid earthquake several years before it occurred, making his prophecy Aug. 11, 1802. The Indian chief is quoted as saying:

"The earth will tremble and roar for a long time. Great trees will fall, although the air will be windless. Streams will change their courses to run backwards and lakes will be swallowed in the earth." The New Madrid quake struck in 1812, and many of Tecumseh's predictions came true.

According to the organizers' Web page, the event in Shawnee National Forest will be the fulfillment of "Tecumseh's Dream" to establish an alliance of 50,000 Indians of different tribes.