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Professor recounts Potawatomi Trail of Death and urges recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day
Summary
Professor George Godfrey, identified as Potawatomi, described the Potawatomi removal through Springfield in 1838 and urged the Committee to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day; his presentation prompted a procedural question about the chair's authority to invite speakers.
Professor George Godfrey told the Springfield Committee of the Whole on Sept. 30 that the Potawatomi people passed through the area that is now Springfield during the forced removals of 1838 and urged the city to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day.
“I am Potawatomi from Oklahoma,” Godfrey said, and described historical passages of the Potawatomi — including a September 29, 1838 passage through Springfield in which he said more than 800 people, 300 horses and baggage wagons moved along a three‑mile trail; he said two Potawatomi children died…
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