A new permanent sculpture honoring Peoria’s Indigenous history is on display in upper Laura Bradley Park, more than five years after the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue.
Peoria Park District representatives joined acclaimed Peoria artist Preston Jackson and other community members Friday at a dedication ceremony for his artwork entitled, “Never Extinct: A Pictorial History of Indigenous People.”
The bronze piece features representations and symbolism of Indigenous culture and heritage.
“If I start talking about subject matter or content, it would take all day. But everything on this is connected to something,” said Jackson. “There’s life in this piece, simply by the fact that I used live models and people that I know.”
The park district’s board of trustees commissioned Jackson to craft the piece that stands as a replacement for the Columbus statue that was removed from the West Bluff location near the corner of Columbus Terrace and Parkside Drive.
“This sculpture by Preston Jackson invites us to pause and recognize the deep and enduring Native American history of this region,” said board president Robert Johnson Sr. “Long before our city grew along the Illinois River, indigenous people lived on and cared for this land. Their presence, their traditions and stories, are central part of the history of Central Illinois.”
The dedication featured a ribbon-cutting timed to coincide with the spring equinox, and a “victory song” performance by Eagle Ridge and Friends, a local drum and dance troupe.
Logan Pappenfort, director of tribal relations for the Illinois State Museum and a citizen of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, said Jackson’s sculpture and its placement in the park hold special meaning for him.
“I first came to Illinois as a resident five years ago, and that was after working for my nation as the director of cultural preservation for seven years, and in that time, I visited Peoria, Illinois, many times. One thing that always struck me was I saw nothing that was reflecting my people and the history that we had in this place,” said Pappenfort.
“When the incredibly gifted artist Preston Jackson approached me about getting my feedback on the early stage of this, I was more than happy to help because when I look at this today, it does tell a story. It tells the story of my people.”
Peoria Park District executive director Emily Cahill acknowledged the path from removal of the Columbus statue to Friday’s dedication was a challenging one at times.
“I think there’s still people who are disappointed that Columbus was removed. Ultimately, that was a decision that our board made trying to honor as many members of our community as possible,” said Cahill.
“As we’ve gone through this process over the last almost six years, people have had a lot of strong opinions about what should be here and what shouldn’t. Our goal is to support every member of our community, and we believe strongly that there is a space in all of our parks for public art.”
Cahill said it’s the district’s first permanent piece crafted by Jackson. She said the artwork itself cost slightly more than $100,000, while the location required about $50,000 in upgrades and additions such as sidewalks and signage.
“Just as Christopher Columbus was a conversation starter, we hope that this is, too, about what it means to live in Peoria — how we got here, how we started, how we use the river to maintain our community, why we are in this space versus another — and the role that indigenous people have in land stewardship,” she said.
“So to us, it’s a fit that makes a lot of sense.”
