,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #dii ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjbj,mr4 ,young 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 and ,mr4 ,peters7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,indian ,affairs ,,resolution ,acknowledging the reprehensible policy of the ,united ,states regarding the forced relocation of the ,potawatomi people from their homeland east of the ,mississippi ,river to ,kansas and ,oklahoma and the devastating hardships the ,potawatomi people endured during the march west1 known as the ,potawatomi ,trail of ,death4 ,whereas the ,potawatomi people1 collectively known as the ,potawatomi ,nation1 are comprised of members of the many villages1 communities1 and bands that resided for millennia in their homeland in the southern ,great ,lakes region of the present day ,states of ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,michigan1 ,illinois1 and ,wisconsin2 ,whereas the advanced farming techniques1 extensive trade and commerce networks1 and well-established transportation routes of the ,potawatomi ,nation had a significant influence on the early history of ,north ,america2 ,whereas ,potawatomi leaders entered into #dd treaties with the ,united ,states1 including a series of treaties the ,potawatomi people were pressured to sign between #ahah and #ahbh1 under which the ,potawatomi people ceded vast areas of the homeland of the ,potawatomi people in exchange for annuities1 small reservations in the ,states of ,indiana and ,illinois1 and scattered individual allotments2 ,whereas1 in #ahcj1 ,president ,andrew ,jackson signed the ,act of ,may #bh1 #ahcj 7#d ,stat4 #daa1 chapter #adh7 7commonly known as the ,indian ,removal ,act71 into law1 which authorized the ,president to provide land in the so-called ,indian territory in the western ,united ,states for the reception of such tribes or nations of ,indians as may choose to exchange the lands where they now reside1 and remove there '''2 ,whereas #c treaties signed by ,potawatomi leaders in ,october #ahcb further reduced the remaining homeland of the ,potawatomi people in the ,states of ,indiana and ,illinois to several small reservations and individual allotments1 including a reservation at a village on the ,yellow ,river in ,twin ,lakes1 ,indiana 7referred to in this preamble as the ,twin ,lakes ,reservation71 under a ,potawatomi leader named ,menominee2 ,whereas pressure from ,united ,states negotiators resulted in ,potawatomi leaders signing a number of treaties between #ahcd and #ahcg1 known as the ,whiskey ,treaties1 which ceded the remaining ,potawatomi land in the ,state of ,indiana and included a commitment to move to reservations in the ,west within #b years2 ,whereas ,menominee and a number of other ,potawatomi leaders-- 7#a7 refused to participate in the negotiations that produced the ,treaty of ,august #e1 #ahcf 7#g ,stat4 #eje7 7commonly known as the ,yellow ,river ,treaty71 which purported to relinquish the rights of the ,yellow ,river ,band of the ,potawatomi people 7referred to in this preamble as the ,yellow ,river ,band7 to the ,twin ,lakes ,reservation2 and 7#b7 later submitted a petition to ,united ,states ,general ,john ,tipton that challenged the validity of the ,yellow ,river ,treaty2 ,whereas1 after the #b-year period for the ,yellow ,river ,band to move west expired1 ,white settlers who wanted to occupy the lands of the ,twin ,lakes ,reservation petitioned ,indiana ,governor ,david ,wallace for protection1 and1 in response1 ,governor ,wallace authorized ,general ,tipton to mobilize a militia of #ajj volunteers to forcibly remove the ,yellow ,river ,band from the reservation2 ,whereas1 on ,august #cj1 #ahch1 ,general ,tipton and a volunteer militia surprised the ,yellow ,river ,band at the ,twin ,lakes ,reservation1 and1 over the next several days1 the soldiers burned the crops and destroyed the village of the ,yellow ,river ,band to discourage anyone from trying to return2 ,whereas1 on ,september #d1 #ahch1 the forced relocation of #hei members of the ,yellow ,river ,band proceeded from ,twin ,lakes1 ,indiana1 under the armed escort of the militia1 including the ,potawatomi leaders ,menominee1 ,makkatahmoway1 and ,pepinawa1 who were treated as prisoners of war and rode along in a wagon under armed guard2 ,whereas1 over the course of #fa days1 through deprivation and often brutal heat along the march west1 known as the ,trail of ,death1 that extended from ,twin ,lakes1 ,indiana1 through the ,states of ,illinois and ,missouri to the eventual destination of the ,yellow ,river ,band some #ffj miles away in ,osawatomie1 ,kansas1 some #db ,potawatomi individuals died1 including #bh children2 and ,whereas some of the ,potawatomi ,nation1 including the ,pokagon ,band1 the ,nottawaseppi ,huron ,band1 the ,gun ,lake ,band1 and the ,hannahville ,indian ,community1 evaded forced relocation and the devastating consequences of the ,trail of ,death by fleeing to other locations in the ,great ,lakes region1 including to ,canada1 and elsewhere in the ,united ,states3 ,now1 therefore1 be it #a4 ,acknowledgment ,the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes-- 7,a7 the special legal and political relationship ,indian ,tribes have with the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 the solemn covenant that the ,potawatomi people of the ,united ,states share with the land2 and 7#b7 acknowledges the extreme hardship1 violence1 and maltreatment inflicted on the ,potawatomi people by the ,united ,states through the cruel and ill-conceived policy of forcible removal of the ,potawatomi people from their homeland east of the ,mississippi ,river4 #b4 ,disclaimer ,nothing in this resolution-- 7#a7 authorizes or supports any claim against the ,united ,states2 or 7#b7 serves as a settlement of any claim against the ,united ,states4