Benack's Village, Indiana Explained

Benack's Village was an Indigenous village located in present-day Marshall County, in the present Potawatomi Wildlife Park.^[1] It was protected by terms of a treaty signed by its founder, Stephen Benack, and the United States government. The village existed from 1834 until 1848,^[2] one of the few Indian settlements allowed during The Removal Period.^[3]

Stephen Benack ("Osheakkebe" in the Potawatomi language) was born of French-Canadian and Potawatomi heritage about 1780, and lived with his Potawatomi lineage. He died in 1855, and was buried at the University of Notre Dame.^[1]

The Historical Marker is located at 41.2308°N -86.1054°W.^[2]

Notes and References

1. https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4180.htm Indiana Historical Bureau/Markers/Benack's Village Marker: "Osheakkebe, also known as Stephen Benack, was a leader whose village was near here (1834-1848) . . resisted United States' taking of lands long inhabited by Indians and sided with Great Britain in the War of 1812 . . signed 1815 peace treaty . . Benack secured 2000 acres of land including his village, which remained despite US forced removal of Indians from Indiana in 1830s and 1840s . ."
2. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=60677 The Historical Marker Database, Benack's Village
3. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20622481?seq=1 Shurr, Mark R. Archaeological Indices of Resistance: Diversity in the Removal Period . . "For the Potawatomie of northern Indiana and southern Michigan, the Removal Period (1895-1840) was the time between the Treaty of Greenville and their final removal from the region." p. 44