LEROY -The Wisconsin Glacier reached its southern most point near Shelbyville about 20,000 years ago. Rocks deposited along its edge created ridges called "moraines" on the relatively flat Illinois landscape.

Sometime later, thousands of Kickapoo Indians set up a village on top of one of the moraines near present-day LeRoy. It was high ground. Perhaps the spectacular view of the surrounding plains offered protection from enemies.

No one knows exactly how long they hunted deer, grew maize and squash, had babies, lived and died there. History records how a French explorer/soldier wrote home in the 1750s with news he'd seen a large Indian settlement and fort at the site.

In 1818, the year Illinois became a state, mapmakers named the site the Grand Village of the Kickapoo. Six years later, a surveyor counted 2,000 to 3,000 Kickapoo tribal members living there. More than 5,000 graves were evidence they'd been there for some time.

Less than 20 years later, the village disbanded and the tribe left Illinois after some of Kickapoo warriors suffered defeat fighting along side a Sauk warrior named Black Hawk, who tried to reclaim his homeland in Northern Illinois from European settlers.

In 1997, Angelo Padro's life journey from the slums of Hell's Kitchen in New York City led him to the top of that same scenic moraine. His friends, Bill and the late Doris Emmett, had stopped a hog farm from setting up shop on the ridge. In the process, the Emmetts learned much of the site of the former village was on their land.

They asked Padro and others to help contact the three surviving branches of the Kickapoo to have a reunion powwow there. Padro, property manager for Country Financial in the Twin Cities, obliged. He'd gotten to know Hopi Indians while he lived in Arizona working at his former job as a nuclear power plant engineer. He was excited about the chance to learn more about American Indian history in Central Illinois after he was hired to work at the nuclear power plant in Clinton.

"When the Emmetts approached me, I jumped on it," said Padro, who is president of the Grand Village of the Kickapoo Park Board.

The group has hosted powwows each year with one exception. In 2006, Bill Emmett sold the land to current owners Bill and Misty Vermaat of Mokena, who've become strong supporters of the park ever since.

Misty Vermaat is a descendant of Simeon H. West, a spiritualist who arrived in McLean County in the early 1850s. He erected a statue in LeRoy of a Kickapoo chief he saw in a vision. West also donated 20 acres of land for West Park to McLean County just west of the Kickapoo Village site.

The 10th Intertribal Powwow will be June 7-8. The event features American Indian dancers, singers and drummers plus vendors selling American Indian crafts and jewelry. Food also will be sold.

"It's a fantastic story," Padro said. "It's not just about the Kickapoo, but the many other tribes in the area as well. It just so happened the Kickapoo were the last ones there."

Doris Emmett was a teacher, and the park's educational value has been stressed from the start.

"I think especially for the youngsters coming up that they should know a little bit of the background of the area and what the natives did, how they survived," Padro said. "It's like building a building. They were the pillar, the foundation, of our nation."

"I think it's not only the Kickapoo who are important, but also other native communities who resided in Illinois," agreed Glenn Barnhill, a State Farm employee and vice president of the park board. "There's not a lot of recognition of the native people who once existed here. The Grand Village gives people a chance to see and participate. This is not a dying culture. This is a culture that's still struggling and surviving."

"It's been interesting to learn about the village and the ways of Native Americans, the way things were back then," added board secretary Linda Corry of Carlock, who's also been involved in the park since the beginning. "I've enjoyed learning all of it."

The upcoming powwow includes dedication of a new Information Center/Veterans Memorial at the site just before 1 p.m. Saturday. Barnhill oversaw the construction. The memorial is meant to honor both native and non-native veterans.

"There are a lot of veterans out there who have done their time and done their duty and have been forgotten," Barnhill said. "This will give them a chance to be recognized."

Michael Jacobs , an award-winning American Indian music recording artist, will perform at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and at 11 a.m. June 8. Dancing begins at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. June 8.

The Chicago-based group Midwest Soarring, which is dedicated to preserving Indian culture and burial sites, helped get the powwows organized. The group keeps a small herd of buffalo at the site. This year, they'll be joined by a buffalo from Minnesota that is a descendant of Cody, a buffalo featured in the Oscar-winning film, "Dances with Wolves."

A silent auction will conclude the powwowat 3 p.m. June 8.

Last year proved the powwow remained one of McLean County's most popular historic events despite the one year hiatus. About 4,000 attended during the two days.

"Turnout was very, very good," Padro said. "We were very impressed and very happy people came back to us. Not only did it open a new era for us, but the people who came were very, very positive. They were happy we are continuing the tradition."

---

If you go

What: 10th Intertribal Powwow

When: Saturday,June 8

Where: Grand Village of the Kickapoo Park

What to expect: American Indian dancers, singers and drums; American Indian crafts; food; children's activities; buffalo and the chance to have your picture taken on one. Camping available for the weekend.

Times: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8.

Grand Entries are 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. A new Visitors' Center/Veterans' Memorial will be dedicated before the Grand Entry on Saturday afternoon.

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children ages 6-12. Children under 6 are free.

Directions: Take Interstate 74 east to the LeRoy exit, drive through LeRoy north to School Street where it "Ts." Turn right and travel five miles and turn left on County Road 3100. Continue to the stop sign, then follow the signs to the park.

More information: Visit www.grandvillage.org