Prairie State Wire

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed several bills to expand protection for Native Americans in the state on Aug. 4. Those bills established procedures for handling remains in gravesites and returning them to Native American Nations; one allows students to wear cultural regalia as graduation attire; and another requires teaching Native American history in Illinois public schools, according to the Aug. 4 news release on these bills.

"Today, we take another step forward in repairing generations of harm and building a brighter future for our state's Native American and Indigenous Peoples. At its core, this legislation is about respect," Pritzker said, according to the press release. "Respect for those who came before us and those who will come after – and that is why we want to teach our children this history, to avoid the mistakes of the past and to instill that respect from an early age."

CBS News reported on Aug. 4 that Prtizker would be in Schaumburg as he signed bills that expanded protections for Native Americans. The signing was at 2:30 p.m. at the Trickster Cultural Center, the report said.

House Bill 3413 focuses on repatriating the remains of Native Americans in Illinois. The bill also changes references from “Indian” to “Native Americans.” The bill says that “the Director of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Illinois State Museum, may create a cemetery on existing State lands for the reburial of repatriated Native American remains and materials. Provides that the cemetery shall not be used by the public and shall be protected by the State of Illinois.” The Director of Natural Resources is also required to work with the State Archeologist and the Illinois State Museum as remains are reinterred in the cemetery.

Rep. Mark L. Walker filed this bill on Feb. 17 in the House of Representatives and it moved to the Senate on March 27. It passed both houses on May 19 and was sent to Pritzker on June 1, according to the bill status.

Pritzker also signed Senate Bill 1446 on Aug. 4, which allows students to wear “articles of clothing or items that have cultural or religious significance to the student.” The bill said that by July 1, 2024, the Illinois State Board of Education shall “make available to schools, on its Internet website, resource materials developed with stakeholders regarding a student wearing articles of clothing that have cultural or religious significance to the student if those articles of clothing or items are not obscene or derogatory toward others, and the right of a student to wear or accessorize graduation attire with certain items.

Walker, who filed House Bill 3413, said, "I can't imagine how horrible I would feel if someone dug up the grave of my grandmother, stole a necklace she was buried with to be sold as a curiosity, and put her bones on display, but that's what we're talking about here," according to the press release from Pritzker's office. "Illinois' past and present are better because of the history and impacts of Native Americans. Reconciling the sins of our past means ensuring these remains are reburied with the honor and respect they deserve."