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Purple and white flowers bloom in a prairie.
Rattlesnake Master Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a common wildflower found in Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Markham Shkode Prairies. © Timothy S. Long

Stories in Illinois

The Nature Conservancy Preserve’s New Name Marks a New Chapter in Markham, Illinois

Markham Shkode Prairies, formerly known as Indian Boundary Prairies, was renamed following an in-depth community-informed process.

June 10, 2026

Just 20 miles south of downtown Chicago, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) protects some of the last remaining sections of native prairie in Illinois. Grasslands are particularly rare ecosystems and in Illinois only 1% remain. They provide numerous benefits, such as soaking up storm water, capturing carbon and supporting biodiversity. In Markham, the prairies also offer natural spaces for people to connect with nature and learn more about the unique benefits of grasslands.

How to Say “Shkode”

“Shkode” is the Potawatomi word for “fire.” It is also the root word for fire in other Anishinaabe languages. TNC pronounces “shkode” as “SHKOH-day.” Variations in pronunciation may arise depending on the Indigenous dialect. Listen to an example from the Potawatomi Dictionary.

Stewarded by TNC and other partners for the past 55 years, the preserves in Markham, Illinois, now have a new name—Markham Shkode Prairies. The new name coincides with a chapter of renewed community engagement with the site.

Formerly known as Indian Boundary Prairies, the name change was announced in May 2026. TNC consulted a diversity of stakeholders during the multi-year community-informed renaming process.

An orange and black butterfly rests on a leaf.
Delaware Skipper A Delaware skipper butterfly rests on a leaf in Markham Shkode Prairies Preserve in Illinois. © Ron Panzer

A Special Place

The Markham Shkode Prairies Preserve covers 400 acres across five distinct sites. They are home to over 250 species of native plants and are important habitat for monarch butterflies, foxes and migratory birds. Because of their ecological importance, a portion of these prairies is a designated U.S. Department of the Interior National Natural Landmark.

TNC first acquired the prairies in 1971 with the help of the Natural Land Institute. Over the decades since, Northeastern Illinois University and a dedicated Friends group have worked hard in partnership with TNC to protect and steward these rare native prairie fragments.

A path leads through blazing star in bloom.
Wildflower Path Button Blazing Star, Liatris aspera, is just one of many wildflowers growing in Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Markham Shkode Prairies, Illinois. © Timothy S. Long

The Path to a New Name

The preserve’s original name, Indian Boundary Prairies, references a 20-mile-wide “line” 10 miles on either side of the Des Plaines River, starting at Lake Michigan and running 70 miles southwest to present day Ottawa. It was imposed by white settlers and signed into federal law in 1816, prohibiting Indigenous peoples from being in the area. This area encompassed Chicago and the trade routes connecting the growing City to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

Even in modern times, the “Indian Boundary Line” is commonly referenced as a distance marker in legal land descriptions on both the north and south sides of Cook County, including in Markham. However, in 2022 TNC started exploring whether the preserve name should be reconsidered. Led by Marne Smiley, facilitator for the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, a committee of diverse stakeholders was formed to gather information and make recommendations on the name. This committee included Markham Alderman Joseph Bertrand Jr.; Hope McKinnins, a Markham community member who has volunteered at the preserve in the past, Jordan Gurneau, past American Indian Center Board Member and prairie researcher; Karl Gnaedinger, TNC site manager at the preserve, Emilie Pfeiffer, TNC prairie ecologist, and Daniel Misch, TNC Illinois ecological restoration director, met regularly to create a thoughtful review process, which included research, community surveys and community fesedback sessions. After much discussion, the committee decided that the prairies deserved a new name.

Orange wildflowers bloom in a prairie.
Paintbrush Prairie Flowers Wildflowers bloom in a variety of vibrant colors at Markham Shkode Prairies in Markham, Illinois. © Cristina Rutter

Chosen With Care

The preserve’s new name, Markham Shkode Prairies, includes elements that reflect the prairies’ identity, history and continued significance. “Markham Shkode Prairies is a name shaped through community input and chosen with care,” says Smiley. “It reflects the prairies’ identity and the people connected to this place, and it reinforces a long-term commitment to stewardship, learning and connection.”

“Markham Shkode Prairies is a name shaped through community input and chosen with care. It reflects the prairies’ identity and the people connected to this place, and it reinforces a long-term commitment to stewardship, learning and connection.”

—Marne Smiley, facilitator for the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative

“Markham” and “Prairies” were selected to ground the preserve name in its location and ecosystem. “Shkode” is the root word for “fire” in Anishinaabemowin, the ancestral language of the Anishinaabe people. Three distinct Anishinaabe peoples, the Ottawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi make up an alliance known as the Council of Three Fires in the Great Lakes region. The new name pays homage to these people that were most impacted by the Indian Boundary Line. Furthermore, applying fire to the landscape is an Indigenous land stewardship practice which TNC champions in its restoration practices, deepening the connection to “shkode.”

“I think that the 'Markham Shkode Prairies' name is going to be really unique and help break down that barrier of the Indian Boundary Line,” says Misch. The history of the preserve’s name will be acknowledged in planned educational signage on site.

Three people gather in a field with orange lilies in the foreground.
Markham Shkode Prairies Staff members at Markham Shkode Prairies Preserve in Illinois. © Cristina Rutter

A New Chapter

These prairies have shaped generations—from the Native Nations who first lived with and cared for this land, to the residents of Markham who know them today as a place of nature, memory and community. But the Markham Shkode Prairies are more than just landscapes—they’re living laboratories enabling us to learn more about how grasslands can help reduce flooding, store carbon and help biodiversity flourish.

TNC’s continued stewardship at the Markham Shkode Prairies will model restoration best practices which can be applied by our partners in other natural areas in Chicago and across the Midwest. This includes how to apply prescribed fire in an urban setting, how to develop high-quality sources of native seed and how to serve as a base for training and capacity-building among professionals at regional natural resource agencies, increasing our impact. While continuing to tend to the ecological value of these rare prairie remnants, TNC intends to stoke Markham Shkode Prairies Preserve to its full potential as a resource and leader for the local and restoration communities.

Learn More

Plan your visit to Markham Shkode Prairies and learn more about all grasslands can do.

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