Illinois Confederation

"Illiniwek" redirects here. For the former mascot/symbol of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, see Chief Illiniwek.
Illinois Confederation
Illiniwek
SuccessorPeoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Formation5
TypeTribal alliance
Location
OriginsMississippi River Valley
Membership
Official language
Miami–Illinois language
Main organ
Great Chief and lower peace chiefs and war chiefs
Painted hide with geometric motifs, attributed to the Illinois Confederacy by the French, pre-1800. Collections of the Musée du quai Branly.

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, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The five main tribes were the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa.[1] The spelling Illinois was derived from the transliteration by French explorers of iliniwe to the orthography of their own language.[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.[3]

The Illinois, like many Native American groups, sustained themselves through agriculture, hunting, and fishing.[4] A partially nomadic group, the Illinois often lived in longhouses and wigwams, according to the season and resources that were available to them in the surrounding land. While the men usually hunted, traded, 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.[5] Not officially a Confederation, the villages were led by one Great Chief. The villages had several chiefs who led each individual clan.[6] The Illinois people eventually declined because of losses to infectious disease and war, mostly brought through the arrival of French colonists.[7][4]

Eventually, they reorganized under the name of the Confederated Peoria. They are now known as the federally recognized "Peoria Tribe of Indians" and reside in present-day Oklahoma.[8]

  1. ^ "Algonquian languages". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  2. ^ "Illinois-Miami Language (Myaamia, Maumee, Illini, Illiniwek, Peoria)". www.native-languages.org. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  3. ^ a b Rogers, Gerald A. (2009). The changing Illinois Indians under European Influence: The Split Between the Kaskaskia and Peoria. West Virginia University.
  4. ^ a b "Native Americans:Historic:The Illinois:Identity". www.museum.state.il.us. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  5. ^ "The Other Half Women and the Illinois Indian Tribe". www.lib.niu.edu. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  6. ^ "Native Americans:Historic:The Illinois:Society:Leaders". www.museum.state.il.us. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  7. ^ "Illiniwek confederation". From the History Room. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  8. ^ "Native American Relations | Northern Illinois University Digital Library". digital.lib.niu.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-23.