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Cahokia winter solstice sunrise over Fox Mound HRoe 2017sm

The Cahokia ( mia, kahokiaki) were an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe and member of the

Illinois Confederation 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. Eventually member tribes occupied an area reaching from Lake Michicigao (Michigan) to Iowa, Ill ...

; their territory was in what is now the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

in North America. As a member of the Illinois Confederation, the Cahokia were likely similar to other Illinois groups in culture, economy, and technology. At the time of European contact with the Illini, the peoples were located in what would later be organized as the states of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. After coming upon a complex of monumental earthwork mounds in southern Illinois, the Europeans named the site after the historic Cahokia tribe, then present in the vicinity. But scholars do not believe the tribe was related to the builders of

Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...

Mounds; the site had been abandoned by Native Americans for centuries. French missionaries built two missions as part of their proselytizing of the Cahokia: the Tamaroa/Cahokia mission in 1699 CE and the River L’Abbė mission in 1735 CE. These multiple missions imply the Cahokia was a large enough tribe for the French Seminary of Foreign Missions to justify their construction and operation. But the Cahokia declined in number in the 18th century, due likely to mortality from warfare with other tribes, new infectious diseases, and cultural changes, such as

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

, which further disrupted their society. The remnant Cahokia, along with the

Michigamea Mitchigamea or Michigamea or Michigamie were a tribe in the Illinois Confederation. Not much is known about them and their origin is uncertain. Originally they were said to be from Lake Michigan, perhaps the Chicago area. Mitchie Precinct, Monroe C ...

, were absorbed by the

Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were one of the indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. They were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation, also called the Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in ...

and finally the

Peoria people The Peoria, also Peouaroua, are a Native American people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma. The Peoria people are descendants of the Illinois Confederation. The ...

. The Tamaroa were closely related to the Cahokia. After the U.S. government implemented its policy of Indian removal in the early nineteenth century, they were forcefully relocated to Kansas Territory, and finally to

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

(present-day Oklahoma). Five Cahokia chiefs and headmen joined those of other Illinois tribes at the 1818 Treaty of Edwardsville (Illinois); they ceded to the United States territory of theirs that equaled half of the present state of Illinois.Simpson, Linda. "The Tribes of the Illinois Confederacy." May 6, 2006.
Accessed November 27, 2016. Although the Cahokia tribe is no longer a distinct polity, its cultural traditions continue through the federally recognized Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.

References

External links

''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Cahokia
{{authority control Algonquian peoples Illinois Confederation Native American tribes in Illinois Native American tribes in Iowa Native American tribes in Missouri Native American tribes in Arkansas Native American tribes in Kansas Native American tribes in Oklahoma Algonquian ethnonyms Cahokia

See also

Further reading

References

External links