New name for Starved Rock State Park? State officials 'willing to open discussions'

A top outdoors destination for Chicagoans could end up with a new name as Illinois conservation officials grapple with state parks, landmarks and other historic sites whose age-old monikers might be considered offensive or painful to some groups.

Leaders at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said this week there are “no immediate plans” to rebrand Starved Rock State Park in La Salle County, but officials are open to discussing a potential name change for that and other attractions that have been “flagged” by Native American groups.

Legend has long held that the 125-foot sandstone butte over the Illinois River gets its name from a 1760s battle in which Ottawa and Potawatomi Native Americans, avenging the killing of Chief Pontiac, surrounded a band of Illiniwek who ended up dying of starvation atop the breathtaking terrain.

The tribal lore has been passed down through the generations, but there’s no tangible historical record of the encounter, and some native groups have suggested over the years that the park would be better served with a name that doesn’t conjure images of a vicious battle.

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The topic was broached last month during a panel discussion that included Natalie Phelps Finnie, the Department of Natural Resources director, who acknowledged name changes could be considered for Starved Rock and other sites with potentially problematic names. The discussion was first reported by Shaw Local News Network.

In a statement Friday, the department communications director Jayette Bolinski said “[n]o decisions involving Native American matters are entertained without input and official consultation with Tribal partners.

“This broader issue was flagged for IDNR by our Tribal partners who have been expressing their concerns about troubling place names for certain IDNR sites to department leadership for years. Current IDNR leadership takes these concerns seriously and is willing to open discussions with tribes and community members,” Bolinski said.

“To be clear, there are no immediate plans for any name changes at Starved Rock or any other site. Conversations and proposals will occur over time, and IDNR will make every effort to ensure various constituencies are represented at the table, including tribes, community members, state lawmakers, local businesses, and others.”

Bolinski declined to say which Native American groups have taken issue with Starved Rock’s name.

Gerald Savage, an elder in the Wisconsin Ho-Chunk Tribe whose grandparents were moved into the park in the 1930s, said “there shouldn’t be anything offensive about the name because it’s history.”

Sun-Times archives

“History is both ugly and beautiful. You can’t really change it,” said Savage, who lectures on Starved Rock and other Native American cultural history in the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau.

“Personally, I think they should leave it alone. It’s like disturbing a grave,” he said.

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said she understands “the desire to develop a dialogue on subjects like this, but I have concerns about potential unintended consequences.”

“The entire area’s branded as ‘Starved Rock Country.’ A hasty name change could have a devastating impact on the local economy,” Rezin said, adding that “the park has other challenges that are the priority” — namely, a lack of funding and closed trails.

“We’ve had a wastewater treatment plant near the park that has needed replacement for 10 years, that’s in imminent danger of failing, which would be catastrophic. I’m hopeful that IDNR will focus on the problems the park has,” she said.

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, shared concerns about the potential economic impact, but said he was assured that discussions on a name change would be lengthy and inclusive — and that any change would ultimately require legislative approval.

“I don’t personally find it problematic, because it’s talking about different tribes in the area and their interactions. But I’m not Native American, so I’m not going to act like I know better than they do about what is or isn’t hurtful,” Yednock said.

David Manley/AP-file

Starved Rock is not the state’s only destination with a name that has drawn calls for reconsideration. Dickson Mounds is named for a chiropractor who found a Native American burial ground on his farm in downstate Lewistown, excavated hundreds of skeletons for display — and charged admission.

Savage, whose native name is Ho-Chunk Ska Ga, or White Winnebago, said no matter what Starved Rock is called, it’s a must-see.

“There’s everything you could want to see. The eagles, the wildlife, the waterfalls, the views of the river — it’s spectacular. Just being in the woods, it gives you a renewed spiritual energy. The woods do that to everybody.”

Savage will give a talk on Starved Rock history May 9 at the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library.