Petitioners oppose renaming Starved Rock State Park

A petition is circulating urging Springfield not to rename Starved Rock State Park. Dozens signed it Monday at a Utica business and pledged to collect more signatures.

About 50 people gathered at Bruce & Ollie’s to express their concerns with a recent proposal to rename the park. Overwhelmingly, the throng opposed any such proposal.

“I don’t have an ax to grind. I just thought this was wrong.”

—  Dr. David Manigold

“There apparently are some serious talks in Springfield about changing the Starved Rock name,” said Jen Cetwinski, co-owner of Bruce & Ollie’s. “We hope to stop any action before it begins.”

As previously reported, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources issued a statement earlier this month acknowledging the possibility that Starved Rock, along with other IDNR units, could be renamed.

“The state of Illinois has a responsibility to listen to concerns and recommendations from Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities that have current and ancestral ties to Illinois,” the agency said. “They have repeatedly told us the names of some of our state parks and sites are harmful to their ancestors’ remembrance and perpetuate false narratives to the public. Starved Rock is one example of many.”

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Dr. David Manigold speaks to a group of supporters Monday, April 29, 2024, at Bruce and Ollie's in Utica during a meeting to sign a petition for keeping the Starved Rock State Park name. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources acknowledged in a statement it will reconsider a name change, but it will not be immediately. (Scott Anderson)

The agency further said IDNR officials “in consultation with Tribal leaders and Illinois residents, will explore more appropriate names for some of our parks and sites.”

Native Americans interviewed subsequently expressed divided views. Some said that in a nation where offensive names abound, Starved Rock is not one of the monikers that needs to be revisited. Others said the apocryphal story of Starved Rock does no favors to Native Americans.

Monday, Mike Kohr of rural Princeton took the floor to say the story is indeed apocryphal, but that the proper response is to set the record straight and not simply scrub the moniker.

“So let’s keep the name,” Kohr said, “but let’s tell the truth.”

Amanda Carter, events coordinator for the La Salle County Historical Society, agreed that better information and education was the best approach in discussing what she called “the myth” of Starved Rock.

“Being able to educate not only the local people but the people who come in would be a great benefit,” Carter said.

“Instead of spending money on signage changes,” said Dr. David Manigold, a resident of Grand Ridge, “[let’s] take the money and have a festival that celebrates native life and sets the record straight.”

Manigold, who helped organize the meeting, said he initially was skeptical of the rumors he heard about a name change – until a few calls showed the rumors were founded.

“I don’t have an ax to grind,” Manigold said. “I just thought this was wrong.”

He’s not alone. No one present Monday expressed any support for renaming the park.

“I don’t even know why they would even consider changing the name,” said Don Robey of Utica.

Liz Bishop of La Salle is Republican nominee for the 76th House District (state Rep. Lance Yednock’s seat) and she, too, is opposed to any name change.

“We don’t want to whitewash or erase history,” Bishop said, “and the impact of rebranding would be financially reckless.”

Connie Guerrero of Utica said the region opposes the name change because Starved Rock is an important point of reference for people across the state.

“They don’t know where Utica is,” Guerrero said, “but they know where Starved Rock is.”

Joe Krizel of Utica said the park infrastructure has been neglected and in need of a cash infusion, not a name change.

Peggy Garner of rural Peru said she tried to contact IDNR to open a line of communication ahead of Monday’s meeting and received no response. She urged objectors to place individual calls and emails to the agency to make their feelings known.

“That would have a bigger impact than a piece of paper with everybody’s names on it,” Garner said.

Doug Gift of Utica said he urged concerned residents to contact Gov. JB Pritzker’s office.

“Why don’t we just go to the top, [tell him to] talk to his director and tell him to leave us alone?” Gift said.

A followup meeting is tentatively planned two weeks from now. Manigold indicated organizers would seek a larger venue and see if IDNR would send a representative.