Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library to host "How the American Indians nearly lost Iowa" Thursday

Thursday, September 24, Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library will be hosting a presentation by Bill Sherman. The presentation is entitled "How the American Indians nearly lost Iowa," and it will begin at 7 p.m.
Sherman's program documents how Indians living in Iowa were forced to give away lands they were living on by signing a series of land cession treaties with the U.S. Government. The impact of the Black Hawk War on Iowa,  and on the Lansing area, will be presented at the Library.
This war was the last major Indian conflict in the nineteenth century east of the Mississippi River. Sherman will contrast  the leadership roles of Black Hawk and Keokuk and  how they influenced  the process  of Indian relocations and treaties on lands that would become the state of Iowa. Unlike other states, this conflict in Iowa took a positive turn when the Governor and Iowa legislature allowed the Mesquakie to buy back land they were forced to cede to the U.S. Government.
Each of the treaties signed by American Indians living in Iowa will be shown in a power point presentation. Finally, the coming and departure of Indians living in Iowa will be illustrated with a series of gilded age and WPA murals.
Sherman worked as a publications/public relations specialist for the Iowa State Education Association for more than 35 years. Now retired, he continues to research, write and speak nationally and internationally on topics related to country schools. Since 2000, Sherman has organized annual conferences on country school preservation for the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance. He works with the groups to localize his presentations to include information about significant schools that remain as museums in their area. Audience members are encouraged to share experiences they have had and to bring maps, books, photographs and related items which can be displayed and shared with participants.