On Sunday, May 17, from 1-3 pm, Dr. Michael Wiant will present a program titled “The Impact of the American Revolution on Native Americans” at Three Pines, 510 West Sheridan, Petersburg. This presentation is the second of four lectures in the Tea and Revolution Series, sponsored by the Illinois State Historical Society, Three Pines, Alliance Community Bank, Riverbank Lodge, and the William Penny Chapter of the NSDAR, reflecting on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

We declare that all people are created equal and possess unalienable rights, including “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Today, the power of these few words still resonates as it did on July 4, 1776. Yet for the Indigenous inhabitants of North America, these words were a harbinger of profound and devastating consequences.

Our celebration must account for the consequences of the United States' birth and growth for the Indigenous population of North America: the impact of disease, population decline, and the loss of ancestral lands. Despite these existential challenges, Native American Nations survived and continue to thrive, though for many, recovery remains a daily challenge.

History is the best course to wisdom, and as such, it is imperative that, to forge a better future, we take time to reflect. Conquest, which entered our language in the 1300s, remains in the daily headlines. How do we ensure that all people are created equal and possess unalienable rights, including “life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”?