SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed several bills that expand protections for Native Americans in Illinois.
The governor and others gathered at the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg Friday for what many referred to as a historic day.
“Today is a culmination of tremendous strides that this state has made over the last year to repair century long injustices," Joseph Rupnick, Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation remarked.
One of three bills signed by Pritzker establishes the Human Remains Protection Act. Another requires Illinois schools to add Native American history to their curriculums starting in the 2024 school year.
“It’s up to us to right the wrongs of the past and to chart a new course,” Pritzker said. “One that educates our people so that we won’t repeat the sins of the past.”
Rupnick emphasized inclusion of Native Americans.
“The bills signed into law today make it clear that Illinois understands it is not enough for us to merely exist in a state built on Native American land,” he said.
“We must be included as part of the society with equal rights and respect.”
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