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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING AND ADOPTING THE NAME SH?SHKO MBISHKE FOR THE PRESERVES KNOWN AS CHERRY HILL WOODS SLOUGHS
WHEREAS, on September 11, 2018, the Forest Preserves of Cook County ("Forest Preserves") Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to officially recognize and adopt names of Forest Preserves Lands and Amenities (Board Item No. 17-0178); and
WHEREAS, the Board and the Forest Preserves recognize that names are an important part of creating a sense of place and belonging, in honoring natural features or events, and that names may impart powerful and positive meaning for people; and
WHEREAS, the preserves informally referred to as Cherry Hill Woods Sloughs, located at 41.6700322, -87.8611659 / 41? 40' 12.12" N, 87? 51' 40.20" W in the Village of Palos Park, will henceforth be named Shi?shko Mbishke (pronounced: SHISK-ko BEESH-keh); and
WHEREAS, the site was formerly labelled on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps from 1963 using a name containing a derogatory and sexist slur. This offensive name was removed from the Federal Register in 2022 and was never officially adopted by the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, Shi?shko Mbishke translates to "muskrat swamp" in Boodewaadamiimowin (Potawatomi language), honoring a native animal that plays a significant role in the creation story of the Potawatomi people; and
WHEREAS, this name was selected in collaboration with community partners including the Trickster Cultural Center, the Tribal Office of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the American Indian Center, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, underscoring the Forest Preserves' commitment to valuing and embracing the perspectives of the Native American community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President and the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby recognize and adopt the name Shi?shko Mbishke for the preserves formerl...
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