Illinois' first people, the Illiniwek

[Cd.]

The Illinois Indians, also known as Illini or the Illiniwek, were a group of independent tribes sharing a common language and a common origin. The Illinois language belonged to the central Algonquin group, along with the Miami, whom the Illinois Indians closely resembled. "The word 'Illinois' is the French version of the Algonquin term for 'men'. Most American Indian tribes, in their own language, referred to themselves simply as 'the men' or 'the people.'" This group is sometimes referred to as the Illinois Confederacy. They were very loosely associated and were not politically organized into a formal confederacy like the Iroquois or Creeks. The Confederacy label was probably applied because the individual tribes were often camped in the same location when encountered by the early missionaries and explorers."According to the writings of the early Jesuits in the area, the Illinois tribes were believed to have occupied the area along the upper Mississippi for some time prior to contact. The Illiniwek association with the French began as early as 1667 when some of the Indians visited a trading post established along the Fox River in central Wisconsin. "When first contacted by the Europeans, these tribes inhabited a roughly triangular area extending south and west from the Chicago River into what is now Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas. A hundred years later, their boundaries were formed approximately by the Wisconsin, Ohio, Wabash, and Mississippi rivers. This area was referred to by the French as "The Illinois Country."

"In 1673, the Illinois Confederacy included about twelve tribes: Kaskaskia, Maroa, Cahokia, Peoria, Tamaroa, Tapouaro, Coiracoentanon, Espeminka, Moingwena, Chinkoa, Chepoussa, and the Michigamea. "By 1700, all but the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa had disappeared from the territory, through either original misidentification (some of the groups designated as tribes may have been only subdivisions of a tribe) or absorption into other tribes. As their populations diminished, these tribes, too, merged: the Tamaroa and Michigamea joined the Kaskaskia, and the Cahokia merged with the Peoria.

"With increasing pressure from the tribes on the East, as the Iroquois were forced West pushing the Great Lakes tribes ahead of them, the Illinois tribes concentrated in the face of hostilities. After a Kaskaskian Indian killed the Ottawa chief, Pontiac, in 1769, provoking enmity of the Lake tribes, the Illinois took refuge for a period with the French at the village of Kaskaskia. It was at this time that the Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo, and Potowatomi began to move into the territory vacated by the Illiniwek.

"During the latter part of the eighteenth century, the remaining Illinois, their populations greatly diminished, inhabited an area along the Kaskaskia and Big Muddy rivers in southern Illinois, while some members of the combined tribes were moving across the Mississippi River into reservation lands on the Missouri Territory. "In 1832, the last of the Illinois lands were ceded to the United States government and the survivors withdrew across the Mississippi River. Only eight Kaskaskia warriors were included in the group that settled with the Peoria in Kansas. Two hundred Peoria and Kaskaskia were reported on the reservation in 1840. By 1851, the Indian agent reported that their tribal identification had been lost and only a few remained. By the end of the century, the Illiniwek were essentially gone except for the Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma which numbered a little over 400 in 1956.

"The Illiniwek lived by combining hunting, fishing, farming, and gathering in a yearly cycle. About the first of April they returned to their semi-permanent village sites spread along the river banks. Here, they lived in bark or reed-mat-covered framework lodges, apparently four of five families in a single lodge, probably all part of one extended family. "In the fall, the whole tribe moved onto the plains on foot for the long winter buffalo hunt..."February was the accepted time of year for war and raiding parties. These were generally small, led by a war leader, and followed strict policing rituals. Taking captives was considered more honorable than killing the enemy, and a successful raiding party returned without losses. Slaves were apparently common, and captured women and children were often adopted into families to replace lost members." Weapons included bows and arrows, considered superior to the gun because they could fire more rapidly, as well as clubs and hatchets (tomahawks). Metal knives and hatchets and guns were available although not plentiful. Arrow points and spear points were made of stone or of metal and glass obtained from fragments of European materials. Shields formed of several layers of buffalo hide were carried by war and raiding parties.

"Games such as lacrosse, gambling, races, and dances were a part of religious ceremonies as well as recreation. Games were played between groups within a village or tribe or between different tribes. Education of the children was treated as a game. "Dress was kept to a bare minimum. Except for moccasins and a loincloth or skirt of some type, both sexes normally wore little clothing for everyday. Buffalo-skin robes were added during severe weather. Special occasions called for additional adornment in clothing, jewelry, body painting, and hair dressing and ornamentation.

[Cd.]

http://www.up140.jacksn.k12.il.us/Wr...s/Illinois.htm

The Illiniwek (Illinois) Indians

Interesting Facts:

The Illiniwek were an Algonquian-speaking nation that spread over what is now southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and parts of Iowa and Missouri. The Illiniwek consisted of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa tribes. The French named Lake Michigan “Lac du Illinois” or Lake of the Illinois because of the proximity of the Illiniwek. The area in which the Illiniwek were located was generally wooded but there were prairies and open spaces in the forests. An estimate of the population varied considerably because the different bands were constantly moving in and out of the large village. Its early population was about 9,500 individuals and its largest population was generally around lakes, ponds, marshes, creeks, and rivers.



Social Structure:

The Illiniwek did not have an elaborate social organization. It usually tended to have an individual self-reliance. The division of labor was determined by sex. Women would take care of the children, cook, and did other household tasks. They made clothing, did much of the agricultural work, and made basketry. In fact, the women did much of the work around the camp and village. The men, on the other hand, hunted, fished, traded, warred, and made houses and weapons. The tribe did have chiefs or shamans. Men were frequently shamans but under many circumstances women could become shamans. Speech making served as spreading diversity of opinion within the group. Native American councils typically made the speeches to find a solution that they could all agree on. If no one could agree, no action would be taken. During speeches chiefs always gave their opinions last. The larger Illiniwek villages were gathering points for socializing and trade with different bands coming and going.



Diet:

The Illiniwek hunted, gathered, and farmed. In the prairie areas surrounding the tribe buffalo roamed. Often the Illiniwek hunted these and brought back a large supply of meat that would last for a long while. Tall grain elevators and fields of corn and soybeans were common sights across the farmlands. They caught fish in near by rivers or streams and ate birds. They boiled wild rice and ate the flesh of bear, elk, deer, bison, beaver, opossum, and raccoon. They roasted or boiled dry flesh of deer with the fat, juicy flesh of bear, and drank the broth of boiled meats. Squashes were eaten partly as a substitute for bread and also for a vegetable. The crane-neck squash was usually hung up for later use during the winter months. Domestic animals were not eaten because they were not kept. Leaves, seeds, roots, wild plants, and shellfish were gathered in the forests and riverbanks. The plants that were principally grown were corn, beans, and squash. In some areas even wild rice grew. They dried maize and stored it for the predictable shortages in the winter. The women cultivated the fields, planted the seeds, weeded, and harvested the crops. However, the men usually cleared the land in preparation for planting. This type of agriculture is termed horticulture because no draft animals were used. In the spring leaves of wild plants were gathered and cooked as greens. Later in the spring berries and seeds were gathered. In the spring, summer, and fall fish were caught and in early spring maple trees were tapped for sap. The best time for hunting was in the fall and numbers of families went out into the woods to hunt. These Native Americans had a great deal of leisurely time because they did not wander aimlessly for food. The Illiniwek diet was not as dull as one might suppose; many dishes the Native Americans prepared were tasty and delightful.



Customs:

At the time of the earliest contact with white people, their dead were not buried but were wrapped in skin and fastened to trees. The skeletons, however, were apparently buried later. The men in the Illiniwek tribe had several wives of whom they were extremely jealous. The men would cut off their wives ears and noses when they would misbehave and many bore marks of misconduct. When the Illiniwek departed for war the village was notified by a loud shout the night and morning before departure. The captains would wear red scarves, which were made with considerable skill, to distinguish them from their warriors. When going into war the warriors would also have their faces painted with red ochre. The Illiniwek men also practiced the ritual of dream seeking. At age fifteen, the young men painted their faces and removed themselves to a secluded location to fast and pray. They hoped for a vision that would reveal a spirit guardian to them who would be their helper throughout life.



Religion:

The Illiniwek Indians believed in a number of spirits, mostly of natural objects such as the sun, the moon, thunder, and the trees. They believed in pure supernatural power meaning that they believed there was a force in the universe that could attach itself to certain people and things. The Algonquian word manito refers to such supernatural power. The Indians believed that animate and inanimate objects should be treated as “beings”. These beliefs are exploited through tales and myths. Games such as lacrosse, gramling, racing, and dancing were all part of the religious ceremonies as well as recreating.



Technology:

The Illiniweks’ technology was actually fairly complex. The forest provided materials for dugouts and canoes that were commonly used for transportation. They made snowshoes to travel easier in the snow and bows, arrows, and spears for hunting and warring. The points for the weapons were made from chipped flint or other stone. The tools for farming were another key factor in the technology of the Illiniwek. The implements for farming were a hoe, a digging stick (dibble stick), and a wooden stick, which was pointed at one end to make a hole in the ground where seeds would be dropped.



Housing and Clothing:

The abundant forest provided the Illiniwek with enough material to make houses. There were two common houses that were used: wigwams and long houses. A wigwam was made by driving pointed poles into the ground to make an oval or circular shape. The poles were then tied together with strips of bark. The type of covering around the shelter really depended on the type of materials in the area. A fire in the center of the wigwam provided heat for cooking and for warmth. The long house was made of a framework of poles covered with bark. It was arbor shaped and had straight sides with an arched roof. The long house was rectangular in floor plan and had a door at either end. Down the middle of the house were the fires. The average longhouse had about five fires and ten families. The Illiniwek people wore skins from buffalo, raccoon, rabbits, elk, and deer. Illiniwek women made clothing with the skins. A man would wear a breechcloth, a strip of skin drawn between the legs and held in place by the looping it over a belt at the waist. Almost all of the men had their heads shaved. Long hair, though, was admired and was often greased to give an added lustre. During cold weather or during hunting, leggings were added. The women of the tribe wore a skirt, which leggings could be added, and a cape or robe was worn. Both men and women wore moccasins, which were soled and heelless. The clothing was often decorated with painting, embroidery, shells, porcupine quills, or beads

[Manu]

Very interesting.

Its truly amazing to see how many unique/indvidiaul cultures there were in america alone.

It often seems that most culture/custom is getting destroyed as we become more...unified.

[AdamJ]

Criminal, thanks. That made for an interesting read!