Modeling changes in Historic Period Potawatomi social structure: an examination of community connectivity

Concentrated Potawatomi occupation of southeastern Wisconsin begins circa 1790, continues through the time of forced removal (1836), and decreases by the 1880s. Coincident with this trend, is an increasingly intensive Euro-American occupation of this same landscape. Additionally, we note that Potawatomi and Euro-American habitation site locations shift considerably throughout this time. The changing nature of intra- and inter-ethnic social/economic networks is examined by measuring degrees of community connectivity. Using Network Analyst, a series of origin/destination matrices are generated for a single river drainage system. Mean accessibility values are used to indirectly examine shifts in the nature of community interaction.