Editing South Bend, Indiana (section)

===Early history===
The St. Joseph Valley was long occupied by Native Americans. One of the earliest known groups to occupy what would later become northern Indiana was the [[Miami tribe]]. Later, the [[Potawatomi]] moved into the region, utilizing the rich food and natural resources found along the river. The Potawatomi occupied this region of Indiana until most of them were forcibly removed in the 1840s. The South Bend area was popular because its portage was the shortest overland route from the St. Joseph River to the [[Kankakee River]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://historymuseumsb.org/early-st-joseph-county-history/ |title =Early St. Joseph County History |publisher = The History Museum |access-date = December 17, 2015}}</ref> This route was used for centuries, first by the Native Americans, then by French explorers, missionaries and traders.<ref>{{cite web |url =https://historymuseumsb.org/research-history/local-history/ |title =Local History |publisher =The History Museum|access-date = December 17, 2015}}</ref> The French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the first white European to set foot in what is now South Bend,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/South-Bend-History.html |title = South Bend: History – French Exploration Establishes South Bend |publisher = City-data.com |access-date = December 17, 2015}}</ref> used this portage between the St. Joseph River and the Kankakee River in December 1679.