Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary, claimed that Illinois was derived from Illini in their Algonquian language, meaning 'the men'. Updates? To each cabin were 4 or 5 fires, and to each fire 2 families, indicating that each dwelling housed some 8 or 10 families. We encourage students and teachers to look through our main Illini website for more in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Illini pictures and links we believe . The Treaty of Grouseland says that no part of the lands guaranteed to the Miami Tribe by treaty could be transferred without the express consent of the Miami Tribe.. Remaining American Indians in the area--Kickapoo or otherwise--were forcibly removed after the Indian Removal Act of 1830. However, there is plenty of evidence pointing to their presence in the county. [10][11] When the Illinois were first documented by Europeans in the 17th century, they were said to be a population of about 10,000 people. It is the Yanomani tribe. [26][5], The Illinois had two burial procedures. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Many of the images presented here - including historical maps, paintings, and artifact photographs - are also part of the evidence used to develop the story. They were an agricultural peoples l. [14][18] European diseases drastically reduced the numbers of the Illinois. [8], French missionaries who documented their interactions with the tribes note that the people referred to themselves as the Inoka. The word 'Illini' meant "superior men." The enemies of the Illinois Confederacy were the Illinois were almost constantly harassed by the Sioux, Fox, and other northern tribes. Algonquin legends Rather than suing the federal government or the state of Illinois, the tribal leaders filed against 15 landowners, targeting one plot of land in each of the 15 counties included in the 2.6 million acres. Before filing the lawsuit, the Maimi initiated discussions with then-Governor of Illinois Jim Edgar in 1996 and later with his successor George Ryan. In exchange for hides, furs, and human slaves obtained from tribes living to their south and west, the Illinois traded with Great Lakes tribes and French traders for guns and other European goods. [31] But even after the split, all the tribes maintained a strong sense of unification as one nation of the Illini. /* 728x15 link ad */ The story of the Illinois people is a remarkable tale of adaptation and change. The five main tribes were the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. The Illini tribe was nearly wiped out by war in the 1700's, and the survivors had to move to Kansas and Oklahoma. [22] Maize was the primary crop, but the Illinois also planted beans, squash, pumpkins, and watermelons, and gathered wild foods in the forests. google_ad_width = 728; Required fields are marked *. The word 'Illini' meant "superior men." This is the story of the Illinois people when they lived in their traditional homeland, a place the French used to call the "Illinois Country." [29] However, the Illinois also participated in an extensive trading network. [24], There are conflicting reports as to the number of villages and populations of the Illinois, both among the tribes and as a whole. A confederacy of Algonquian tribes, formerly occupying south Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and sections of Iowa and Missouri, comprising the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria, and Tamaroa. Baylor defeated Gonzaga 86-70 in the national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in . /* 728x15 link ad */ Hennepin estimated them, about l680, at 400 houses and 1,800 warriors, or about 6, 500 souls. @media (min-width: 340px) { .adslot_1 { width: 336px; height: 280px; } } They were somehow just migrants in the areas of the Native Americans. By the middle of the 17th century, most of the Illinois people were living along the Illinois River from Starved Rock to the Mississippi, having moved there because of harassment by the Dakota Sioux, Fox, and other northern tribes. Native American horse names Marquette finally got an opportunity to visit the Illinois in 1673, when he accompanied Louis Jolliet on an expedition to explore the Mississippi River. The history of Native Americans in Southern Illinois is a complex story that ranges from a thriving civilization circa 1100 to a diseased and dwindling population that by the early 19th century. google_ad_height = 15; [1] Ilinwe is the singular form of ilinwek. For campaigns involving larger numbers of enemies, war parties involving both men and women were organized in the villages. [14] In 1675 the French established a Catholic mission, called the Mission of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, and a fur trading post near the village. [24], People of all social roles and positions were very religious, relying on spiritual guidance to dictate every aspect of their lives. [16] The remaining descendants of the Illinois Confederation are today found within the Peoria in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. By the mid 18th century the Illinois were mostly occupied with fighting the Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi tribes. Meet our Tribal Government. The murder of the Ottawa chief Pontiac by an Illinois individual provoked the vengeance of several northern Algonquian tribes, further reducing the Illinois population. It was somehow inferred in some accounts that this strategic location of the Illinois Native Americans enabled them to establish a strong relationship with French traders and colonists. By the 1760s, the rise of a new chief had to be approved by colonial authorities. The Illinois ConfederacyThe Illinois confederacy of Algonquian tribes who inhabited parts of Wisconsin, consisted of a group of six united tribes called the Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria, and Tamaroa. Exploitation including the leverage of taxes, enforced labor and enslavement were part of their history, taking their toll on the Illinois Indians. [6], Though chiefs had the authority of political power and were widely respected by the people, the egalitarian society of the Ilinois presented a more democratic environment in which important decisions that effected the community were made by tribal consensus. At the dawn of the historic era, when European explorers first entered the land we now call the State of Illinois, they encountered a people who became known to the world as the Illinois or Illiniwek Indians. The Illini men did the hunting. Return to Native American Websites for Kids The Illinois Confederation, also referred to as the Illiniwek or Illini, were made up of 12 to 13 tribes who lived in the Mississippi River Valley. In 1673, Jesuit Father Jacques Marquette and French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet met the . The members of both tribes are less than 30 members.The Amazon tribes grow their own vegetables and fruits. [24] Direct political leadership was established and maintained by peace chiefs, who were in charge of organizing communal hunting expeditions and communicating with leaders of other tribes. Miami Tribe Drops Suit Over Land in Illinois. Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2001. https://cdn.citl.illinois.edu/courses/aiiopcmpss/MiamiCase/mediacase/2001,%20June%2015.htm. Day 1: The Otoe and Missouria Tribe originated in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. While the Ojibwa, who occupied neighboring areas around the eastern Great Lakes, pronunciation for this concept sounded to the French like, ilinwe. This was the first recorded use of the name "Illini" on campus. Learn More. Father Sebastian Rasles, who visited the village in 1692, placed the number of cabins at 300, each of 4 fires, with 2 families to a fire, indicating a population of about 9,000 perhaps an excessive estimate. The original language of the people from this tribe was Algonquian. Wikipedia, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, John Quincy Adams Sixth President of the United States, James Monroe Fifth President of the United States, General Anthony Wayne Brave Officer of the American Revolution, James Madison 4th President of the United States, Mary Jane Simpson The Lady and the Mule. "Miami-Illinois Tribe Names". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Their descendants, the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, are now scattered throughout the United States but maintain their tribal headquarters in Miami, Oklahoma. The villages of the confederacy noted in history are: Your email address will not be published. [5] Within these polygamous marriage, wives who were unfaithful were punished severely, sometimes by having parts of their face cut off. The descriptions of their character given by the early missionaries differ widely, but altogether they appear to have been timid, easily driven from their homes by their enemies, fickle, and treacherous. Subscribe to this website and receive notification each time a free genealogy resource is newly published. They were one of the tribes who sided with the British in order to fight the French people who tried to displace them. Finally, the British relinquished it to the newly formed United States of America in 1783 at the conclusion of the American Revolution. Several families shared a cabin. Territory of Illinois tribe probably before 1700 The Jesuit Relation for 1660 represents the Illinois tribe as living southwest of Green Bay, Wis., in 60 villages, and gives an extravagant estimate of the population, 20,000 men, or 70,000 souls. The Illiniwek tribe had to adapt as the trading and colonizing activities brought new things to their community. While the men usually hunted or participated in war, the women cultivated and processed their crops, created tools and clothing from game, and preserved food in various ways for storage and travel. The Illini tribe was known for their Native American quillwork, beadwork, and embroidery. The Illini people were experts in woodcarving. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Each village had its own chief. So many world-changing events have happened in our state, and I don't think many people realize it! By the mid 1700s, the 12 or 13 tribes of the Confederation had dwindled to five: the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. [8] The second harvest collected ripened maize, which were eaten during warmer months. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Illinois-people, Native Indian Tribes - History of Illinois, Illinois - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Illinois - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). But within a few months, they ceded the rest of their territory and migrated in order to settle on a reservation in Eastern Kansas. However, records show that some women also had positions of leadership, including those for ritualistic purposes. Like most other tribes, they lived in villages with dwellings that were occupied by a number of different families. It was only through the expansion of European ideals and direct contact with French officials that influenced the chiefs to wield greater power over their people. They became important allies of French fur traders and colonists who came to live among them, and they played a key role in the early history of what would later become the midwestern United States. This tribe decided to side with the French people during the war, making the British their enemy. The Illinois Confederation, also referred to as the Illiniwek or Illini, was a group of 1213 Native American tribes who lived in the Mississippi River Valley, occupying an area from Lake Michigan to Iowa, Illinois, and south to Missouri and Arkansas. Painting of the Piasa Bird, a mythical symbol, Topic(s): Like other Northeast Indians, the Illinois traditionally lived in villages, their dwellings covered with rush mats and housing several families each. They are the other half of the population of Native Americans in Illinois. At this time the village consisted of 74cabins and was occupied by one tribe only. Starting around the mid-17th century, the Illinois greatest foe was the Iroquois Confederacy, who badly diminished their population. Current News. Virtual Museum of New France: Southern Algonquians, Illini Confederation: Lords of the Mississippi Valley, The Illinois Confederacy of Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Oklahoma. First Farm Aid Lights up Memorial Stadium in 1985, Voices from the Past - Edward and Zora Butzow and the Origins of St. Joseph, Illinois, Champaign County's First Historian: Joseph Oscar Cunningham. What was the first tribe in Illinois? In 1867, they left Kansas and moved to a new reservation in northeast Oklahoma. Both bands had become demoralized and generally worthless through the use of liquor. Learn More. google_ad_height = 15; The Illini Indian tribe just had a different accent compared to those belonging to the Miami tribes. Because of this, the tribes in east-central Illinois didnt experience too many problems from white settlers from that direction. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma v Rex Walden et. [17] Called manitou, this vision quest was an important part of becoming an adult in the lives of the Illinois. In the end, the state of Illinois was not interested in a settlement. Permanent houses and farming. [16][18] This capture of land and people eventually pushed the Illinois out of the Great Lakes region and into present-day Kansas. The Illini Indian tribe just had a different accent compared to those belonging to the Miami tribes. In his drawing, which shows six Illinois Indians (standing or squatting, upper left), de Batz created one of the earliest known depictions of Illinois clothing, hair styles, body decoration, and weaponry. Although these tribes were consistent threats, the Iroquois became the most pressing enemy of the Illinois beginning in the late 1600s. Beginning in the 1650s, they also came under attack from Iroquois war parties from the east who had hunted out their traditional lands and sought more productive hunting and trapping areas. This tribe somehow lived the same way as the Iroquois tribe in that they reside in longhouses. In general their villages bore the names of the tribes occupying them, and were constantly varying in number and shifting in location. Retrieved from Facts4Me at https://www.facts4me.com. They were counted excellent archers, and, besides the bow, used in war a kind of lance and a wooden club. That year they besieged a Fox village on the Sangamon River and conducted a brutal attack. Although the land between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains was inhabited and controlled by various American Indian tribes, it was claimed by three successive countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. What other Native Americans did the Illini tribe interact with? And that story isnt over yet. Only people of the same gender and age of the dead person could participate as a part of their burial crew. Illini Indian Fact Sheet. Illinois has lost 14 straight meetings to Indiana. [2][3] The tribes are estimated to have had tens of thousands of members, before the advancement of European contact in the 17th century that inhibited their growth and resulted in a marked decline in population.