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83-743: The Mitchigamea , 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 County in Southwestern Illinois takes its name from their transient presence nearby, north of the French Fort de Chartres in the American Bottom along

166-653: A Catholic mission, called the Mission of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, and a fur trading post near the village. The population increased to about 6,000 people in about 460 houses. Before long, however, Eurasian infectious diseases and the ongoing Beaver Wars brought high mortality to the Illiniwek, causing their population to plummet over the coming decades. The French named

249-406: A French Jesuit missionary, claimed that Illinois was derived from Illini in their Algonquian language , meaning 'the men'. Louis Hennepin claimed the aforementioned men were a symbol of maturity and strength, and representative of the prime of a man's age. In the 21st century, however, linguistic research demonstrates that ilinois derives indirectly from irenweewa , meaning 'he speaks in

332-617: A birch box for the return to St. Ignace. Following a ceremony, the bones retrieved from the university were reburied with the rest of Marquette's bones on June 18, 2022. A Michigan Historical Marker in Ludington, MI reads: Father Jacques Marquette, the great Jesuit missionary and explorer, died and was buried by two French companions somewhere along the Lake Michigan shore on May 18, 1675. He had been returning to his mission at St. Ignace, which he had left in 1673, to go exploring in

415-708: A building was constructed that now houses the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. However, a Michigan Historical Marker in Frankfort, MI reads: Marquette's Death: On May 18, 1675, Father Jacques Marquette, the great Jesuit missionary and explorer, died and was buried by two French companions somewhere along the Lake Michigan shore of the Lower Peninsula. Marquette had been returning to his mission at St. Ignace, which he had left in 1673 to go on an exploring trip to

498-599: A fine Bay, where they await the Mitchigamea, -- who are to come more than 60 leagues to winter there, and to form but one village with them." Their language was the Mitchigamea language . The Mitchigamea do not exist as a social or ethnic group and do not have a living federally recognized tribal government. Despite this the remnants of the Illinois Confederacy which they belonged to exists today as

581-461: A means to reveal to them a specific spirit guardian upon which they would depend on to guide them for the rest of their lives. Called manitou , this vision quest was an important part of becoming an adult in the lives of the Illinois. The Illinois had two burial procedures. One is the burial of bodies that were intact, and the other for burials of skeletons that were placed on scaffolds prior to

664-462: A true confederation refers to different groups of people who, although linked as one nation, are culturally distinct, the Illinois, in the direct definition of the word, are more a segmented tribe rather than a confederation. They share a common language and are culturally similar throughout their tribes. Instead of having multiple individual tribe leaders that assume full authority, the Illinois also had one Grand Chief that centralized power over all of

747-514: A village of Kaskaskia, who invited Marquette to return and establish a mission. When the explorers left the village, some of the Kaskaskia got in their own canoes and traveled with them to Saint Francis Xavier mission in Green Bay, Wisconsin . Jolliet returned to Quebec to relate the news of their discoveries. Marquette and his party returned to the Illinois territory in late 1674, becoming

830-647: Is a North American Indian language family that was spoken in Canada, New England, the Atlantic coastal region, and the Great Lakes region, moving towards the Rocky Mountains. Although there are numerous Algonquian languages, such as Cree, Ojibwa, Blackfoot , and Cheyenne, the term "Algonquin" is employed to refer to the dialect of Ojibwa, which is used by the Illinois. Today, there are no native speakers of

913-560: Is considered to be a more accurate representation, and the Illinois are said to number 10,500 people at the time of European contact. Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette , S.J. ( French pronunciation: [ʒak maʁkɛt] ; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette , was a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan 's first European settlement, Sault Sainte Marie , and later founded Saint Ignace . In 1673, Marquette, with Louis Jolliet , an explorer born near Quebec City ,

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996-466: Is where the party made their first encounter with indigenous people. They met the Menominee, who were known as the "wild rice" people. Marquette told them of his mission to spread religion to the people along the river. The Menominee tried to discourage Marquette and the others, warning them about the perils of the river and the people inhabiting the land along it. The group of explorers next went up

1079-584: The Fox River , nearly to its headwaters. They came upon a village inhabited by Miami , Mascouten , and Kickapoo. They allowed Marquette to teach them about Christianity, and listened attentively. He was especially impressed by the Miami. Marquette noted that they were pleasant in appearance and temperament, despite their reputation as warriors. When Marquette's party left the village, they were accompanied by two Miami that would assist them in finding their way to

1162-518: The Gulf of Mexico . Marquette and the other men began to consider whether the danger was worth the risk. By this point, they had encountered several natives carrying European trinkets, and they feared an encounter with explorers or colonists from Spain . The explorers had mapped the areas where they had been, including their flora, wildlife, and resources. After staying with the Akansea for two nights,

1245-705: The Akansea Quapaw . They were greeted by a group of men in canoes who held up their own calumet. Marquette and the others were invited to the village. Many residents came out to see the Frenchmen. A chief led them to a room where elders and other chiefs had gathered. Marquette used an interpreter to ask about what was south of them. He was told that it was extremely dangerous. The people were hostile, well-armed, and would attack anyone who could interfere with their trading arrangements. The Jolliet-Marquette expedition had traveled to within 435 miles (700 km) of

1328-550: The Chanouananons, but Marquette did notice iron in the Wabash area. Once the summer heat and mosquitoes began to cause great discomfort, the men stopped going ashore at night. They slept in the canoes, using the sails as protection from mosquitoes. This attracted the attention of some Native Americans, who pointed guns at the travelers. Marquette held the calumet over his head. He attempted to communicate by speaking Huron, but

1411-708: The French found a village of the Kaskaskia , in the Illinois River valley (the later site of present-day Utica), a village of Peoria in present-day Iowa (near the later site of Keokuk), and a village of the Michigamea in northeast Arkansas. The Kaskaskia village, also known as the Grand Village of the Illinois , was the largest and best-known village of the Illinois tribes. In 1675 the French established

1494-535: The Great Chief, and Chiefs under him that lead each individual tribe. One such Great Chief that is noteworthy in European history is Mamantouensa, who even traveled to France. 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. Although highly respected, peace chiefs did not have

1577-542: The Illinois near Starved Rock . A bout of dysentery he had contracted during the Mississippi expedition sapped his health. On the return trip to Saint Ignace, he died at 37 years of age near the modern-day town of Ludington, Michigan . His companions, Pierre Porteret and Jacques Largillier, buried his body at a spot that Marquette had chosen. They marked his burial site with a large cross. Porteret and Lagrillier continued on to St. Ignace, so they could inform those at

1660-556: The Illinois Confederation had at one time been one large nation without any divisions of smaller tribes. They were divided into smaller groups once their population proved to be too large to meet effective hunting and agricultural needs. But even after the split, all the tribes maintained a strong sense of unification as one nation of the Illini. The structures of authority are set out to have one central authority, called

1743-745: The Illinois Confederation have merged with the Peoria and are known as the Peoria Tribe of Indians and reside in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. Some of the Illinois people's prominent enemies were the Lakota (Sioux), Osage , Pawnee , Sac and Fox Nation and Arikara to the west and the Quapaw , Shawnee , and Chickasaw to the south. Although these tribes were consistent threats, the Iroquois became

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1826-779: The Illinois accepted a reservation in 1832 at the Big Muddy River south of Kaskaskia. But within a few months, they ceded the rest of their territory and migrated in order to settle on a reservation in Eastern Kansas. In 1854, the Illinois merged with the Wea and Piankashaw nations, renaming themselves as the Confederated Peoria Tribe. In 1867, they resettled in a new reservation in Northeast Oklahoma and were eventually joined by members of

1909-453: The Illinois and their formerly self-sufficient economy became increasingly dependent upon their French allies. The Illinois seasonally lived in wigwams and longhouses, depending on the weather and the resources available to them. Like most other tribes, they lived in villages with dwellings that were occupied by a number of different families. In the beginning of February, war chiefs of each tribes organized raids against enemies, who included

1992-605: 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. Not officially a Confederation , the villages were led by one Great Chief. The villages had several chiefs who led each individual clan. The Illinois people eventually declined because of losses to infectious disease and war, mostly brought through

2075-409: The Illinois were recruited as allies. Additionally, with the expansion of European and Iroquois contact, the Illinois were exposed to a variety of new diseases that caused high mortality among them. Through war and foreign disease, the Illinois population drastically declined to a village of about 300 people by 1778. Pushed out by the Iroquois and Shawnee and facing more numerous European settlers,

2158-433: The Illinois, capturing of prisoners was preferred over death, although some prisoners were eventually killed or forced into slavery. The Illinois preferred arrows and spears over guns, finding them slower than the use of their own weapons. The noise of guns was sometimes employed against other tribal nations that had never before seen or heard such a weapon to frighten them before battle. Although specific dates are unknown,

2241-745: The Jesuit mission in New France, Father Jerome Lalemant, needed missionaries to work with the Five Nations . Marquette was ordained on the Feast of Saint Thomas of Aquinas in Toul on March 7, 1666. Months later, on September 20, he arrived in Quebec. Marquette was first sent to the mission of Saint Michel at Sillery. Because this mission served peaceful and friendly indigenous people from different tribes, it

2324-599: The Kaskaskia and many were absorbed by the Quapaw. Drake records that by 1826 only about 500 members of the Confederation remained. Drake implies that the war came about due to the cruelty of the Illini towards their prisoners, frequently burning them, and even feasting on their flesh when killed. The Jesuit Relations say: "At 5 miles from the village, I found the Tamaroa , who have taken up their winter quarters in

2407-419: The Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Peoria, Tamaroa, Moingwena, Michigamea, Chepoussa, Chinkoa, Coiracoentanon, Espeminkia, Maroa, and Tapouara. Of these 12, only the Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Peoria, Tamaora, and Michigamea remain; others were lost as distinct tribes to disease and warfare. When the Illinois were first documented by Europeans in the 17th century, they were said to be a population of about 10,000 people. Although

2490-711: The Meskwaki, but were unsuccessful until 1730. That year they besieged a Fox village on the Sangamon River and conducted a brutal attack. By the mid 1700s, the 12 or 13 tribes of the Confederation had dwindled to five: the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. European diseases drastically reduced the numbers of the Illinois. The wars had arisen due to the conflicts between tribes for resources and trade goods, or were initiated by European explorers looking to expand their land. The remaining descendants of

2573-595: The Miami Tribe, who became an official part of their new confederation in 1873. Lasting about 50 years, the United Peoria and Miami Tribe dissolved in the 1920s. The remaining members of the Peoria Confederation reorganized, seeking federal recognition by the U.S. government, and were officially acknowledged by 1978. The remaining descendants of the Illinois Confederation are today found within

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2656-594: The Michigamie, along with the other bands in the Illinois Confederation, had been attacked by a general confederation of the Sauk, Fox, Sioux, Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatamies, along with the Cherokee and Choctawa from the south. The war continued for a great many years until the Illinois Confederation was destroyed. First hand accounts indicate that after being reduced, some of the Mitchigamea were partially absorbed by

2739-687: The Mississippi and the Illinois country. The exact location of Marquette's death has long been a subject of controversy. Evidence presented in the 1960s indicates that this site, near the natural outlet of the Betsie River, at the northeast corner of a hill which was here until 1900, is the Marquette death site and that the Betsie is the Rivière du Père Marquette of early French accounts and maps. Marquette's bones were reburied at St. Ignace in 1677. In

2822-523: The Mississippi country. The exact location of his death has long been a subject of controversy. A spot close to the southeast slope of this hill, near the ancient outlet of the Pere Marquette River , corresponds with the death site as located by early French accounts and maps and a constant tradition of the past. Marquette's remains were reburied at St. Ignace in 1677. Adjacent to gravesite of Marquette on State Street in downtown Saint Ignace,

2905-597: The Mississippi. One of their villages in the American Bottom, inhabited from 1730 until 1752, is one of the region's premier archaeological sites ; it is known as the " Kolmer Site ". The Mitchigamea are believed to have wintered in Illinois near the Tamaroas and summered in Arkansas near the Quapaw . This is based on archeological evidence, historic accounts, and historic maps. It is theorized that this pattern

2988-527: The Pawnee and the Quapaw, and later on, the five tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy . Prior to each battle, 20 warriors were invited by the war chief to a feast, in which the men would pray to their manitou for strengths such as speed and endurance when fighting in battle. For campaigns involving larger numbers of enemies, war parties involving both men and women were organized in the villages. To

3071-589: The Peoria in Ottawa County, Oklahoma . Miami and Illinois are dialects of the same Algonquian language, spoken in Indiana and later Oklahoma. Though no native speakers of the language remain, language revival efforts are ongoing, and children from both the Miami and Peoria nations are learning to speak their ancestral language again. Miami–Illinois is a polysynthetic language with complex verb morphology and fairly free word order. The Algonquian language

3154-587: The Petun Huron. Excited to have a Black Robe again, they quickly assembled a banquet. In addition to the Petun Huron, Marquette was tasked with missionary work for three bands of Ottawa: the Keinouche, Sinagaux, and Kiskakon. Marquette visited and attended to all four settlements. Since he felt the Kiskakon were the most ready to accept Christianity, he spent more time working with them and even lived with

3237-646: The Wisconsin River. From the Fox River, the Miami directed, and likely assisted, the men in portaging their canoes for almost two miles through marsh and oak plains to the Wisconsin River , Many years later, the town of Portage , Wisconsin was built and named for the ancient path between the two rivers. They ventured forth from the portage and entered the Mississippi near present-day Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin on June 17. Eight days later,

3320-500: The area Pays des Illinois (meaning "country of the Illinois [plural"), which came to be a common name in referring to the homeland of the Illinois. The early French explorers, including Louis Jolliet , Jacques Marquette and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle , produced accounts that documented the first discovery of the Illinois. Because of these developments, the Illinois tribes became well known to European explorers. European colonization, values, and religion began to affect

3403-534: The arrival of French colonists. 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 . French missionaries who documented their interactions with the tribes note that the people referred to themselves as the Inoka . The meaning of this word is unknown. Jacques Marquette ,

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3486-492: The arrival of the European missionaries in the late 1600s, Jesuit missions were established as a means to convert the Illinois to Christianity. While a great portion of the tribes eventually converted, some tribal elders rejected the religions and worked to retain their beliefs in the spirit world. The Illinois men and women practiced dream seeking, a ritual in which young boys and girls of about fifteen years of age would paint their face and isolate themselves to fast and pray as

3569-400: The authority of village chiefs, and made decisions that were enforced through persuasion over force. War chiefs had the power to plan and lead raids on other tribes. These roles were not inherited, but could be achieved through a demonstration of great battle skills, as well as through convincing the other warriors that his manitou could guide them into a successful raid. For those who died in

3652-399: The battle, it was the war chief's role to compensate the families of the deceased through gifts and lead another raid against those who killed the warrior as a means to enact vengeance. Primarily only men were allowed to be chiefs, although women sometimes had leadership roles in the community as village chiefs. Though chiefs had the authority of political power and were widely respected by

3735-402: The bison on foot. When in close proximity, the hunters would shoot their arrows and spears and force the animal in the opposite direction, towards the rest of the hunting party. The women had the task of butchering the bison and would preserve the meat by drying and heating it in order to prepare for the winter, when hunting was not possible. At the time of European contact, the Illinois economy

3818-510: The calumet over his head. The elders standing on shore saw this, and called off the attack. The men were invited to the village of the Michigamea. One of the Michigamea was able to speak to Marquette in the Miami Illinois language, but most of the communication was done through gestures. The men were fed fish and corn stew, then given a place to sleep for the night. In the morning, Michigamea warriors in dugout canoes escorted them to

3901-403: The ceremony. Only people of the same gender and age of the dead person could participate as a part of their burial crew. For bodies that were intact, the cadavers were ceremonially dressed and placed in their grave along with funeral objects that would accompany them into the afterlife. A wooden cover is placed over their graves in order to prevent animals and environmental factors from disturbing

3984-575: The conflict between the Meskwaki , also known as "Fox", and the French, known as the Fox Wars . In 1722, the Meskwaki attacked the Peoria for having killed the nephew of one of their chiefs, and forced them onto Starved Rock . The Peoria sent out messengers asking for help from the French, but by the time they reached the site, many of the Peoria warriors had been killed. The French and their Illini, Miami, Potawatomi and Sac allies continued to battle

4067-643: The families in their village. During his time at La Pointe, Marquette encountered members of the Illinois tribes, who told him about the important trading route of the Mississippi River. They invited him to come to their village and teach their people, whose settlements were mostly farther south. Marquette was eager to explore this river and asked for permission to take a leave from missionary work, but he first had to attend to an urgent matter. The Hurons and Ottawa at La Pointe had begun fighting with

4150-527: The federally recognized Peoria Tribe of Indians , and many of them were noted for being absorbed by the Quapaw , which also still exist today as a federally recognized tribe. This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Illiniwek The Illinois, like many Native American groups, sustained themselves through agriculture, hunting, and fishing. A partially nomadic group,

4233-549: The first Europeans to winter in what would become the city of Chicago. As welcomed guests of the Illinois Confederation , the explorers were feasted en route and fed ceremonial foods such as sagamite . As Marquette had promised, he established The Immaculate Conception mission for the Kaskaskia. In the spring of 1675, Marquette traveled westward and celebrated a public Mass at the Grand Village of

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4316-443: The grave. The economy of the Illinois people was based on agriculture, hunting, and fishing. They depended heavily on agriculture, and generally had villages located near rivers where the soil was most fertile. Maize was the primary crop, but the Illinois also planted beans, squash, pumpkins, and watermelons, and gathered wild foods in the forests. Maize was planted in late spring and harvested prematurely in July, at which point most

4399-431: The household. Additionally, some women were shamans and priests, thus holding great power in the community. They enacted powers that could lead to death, and were thus both revered and feared by both men and women. Women were sometimes granted hunting tasks upon communal hunts, but were denied the use of any weapons, thus making it difficult to participate in this activity. Outside of religion, women could achieve status in

4482-405: The language patterns that were specific to women. People of all social roles and positions were very religious, relying on spiritual guidance to dictate every aspect of their lives. Hunters depended on spirits in catching wild animals, warriors asked the spirits for guidance before warfare, and shamans were regularly employed to absolve matters concerning physical and mental health. However, with

4565-463: The language, although revival movements are making efforts to keep the language alive. Like most Native American tribes, the men of the Illinois were mainly hunters and warriors while the women had domestic and agricultural roles. However, records show that some women also had positions of leadership, including those for ritualistic purposes. Amidst a polygamous society, the first wives held superiority in their families, and held leadership roles in

4648-411: The mission at Sault Ste. Marie in present-day Michigan. The missionaries planted crops, then built a chapel and barns. They established friendly relationships with the Ottawa and Chippewa that were inhabiting that area, and were allowed to baptize most of the infants and people who were dying. Marquette noted that the Chippewa were great businessmen and exceptionally skilled at catching whitefish from

4731-447: The mission, became aware that an ounce of Marquette's bones was located at Marquette University . Talks between the residents and the university began. The Museum of Ojibwe Culture sent a formal request for the return of the bones. This request was accepted by Marquette University. Two Native American men, one an Anishinaabe elder, arrived at the university in March of 2022. They were presented with Marquette's bones, which they placed in

4814-512: The mission. Two years later, Kiskakon Ottawa from the Saint Ignace mission found Marquette's gravesite. They cleaned his bones in preparation for their journey. Ottawa and Huron, in about thirty canoes, accompanied them back to the mission. Marquette's remains were presented to Fathers Nouvel and Piercon. They led funeral services before burying his bones in the chapel at Mission Saint-Ignace on June 9, 1677. In 2018, residents of St. Ignace, some of them descendants of those led by Marquette to

4897-456: The most pressing enemy of the Illinois beginning in the late 1600s. The Iroquois, hoping to replace deceased kin through adoption and looking for new hunting grounds after exhausting their own resources, killed or captured many Illinois people through their war parties. Other than the internal conflict among the tribes themselves, the Illinois also faced threat from European forces that stirred conflict with them and started wars, some of in which

4980-404: The neighboring Lakota people . Because he feared an attack by the Lakota, Marquette felt it was necessary to find a new place for the mission. Dablon agreed that a new mission was necessary and offered to find a location. Some of the men wanted to stay and fight. Marquette attempted to discourage the imminent war, but most of the men maintained their position. He promised those who wanted to avoid

5063-408: The number has significantly reduced, many of their descendants are today part of the Peoria Tribe of Miami, Oklahoma , as part of the merged Confederated Peoria Tribe . It is thought that when the French first encountered the Illiniwek tribes, there were as many as 10,000 members living in a vast area stretching from Lake Michigan out to the heart of Iowa and as far south as Arkansas. In the 1670s,

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5146-507: The ordinary way'. When the French encountered the Ojibwa , who occupied neighboring areas around the eastern Great Lakes, their pronunciation for this concept sounded to the French like ilinwe . Ilinwe is the singular form of ilinwek . The French explorers who first heard it recorded it in various transliterated forms, such as "liniouek", "Aliniouek", "Iliniouek", and "Abimiouec". The Illinois Confederation comprised 12 separate tribes who shared common language and culture. These tribes are

5229-400: The party decided to end the exploration. On July 17, they turned back at the mouth of the Arkansas River . They followed the Mississippi back to the mouth of the Illinois River , which they had learned from local natives provided a shorter route back to the Great Lakes. They reached Lake Michigan near the site of modern-day Chicago , by way of the Chicago Portage . The party encountered

5312-434: 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. 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. By the 1760s, the rise of a new chief had to be approved by colonial authorities. Because

5395-422: The rapids in the St. Marys River. People from many tribes would travel to purchase the whitefish. Marquette and the other missionaries would explain their faith to the visiting Sioux , Cree , Miami, Potawatomi , Illinois, and Menominee . They hoped that these visitors would be interested in getting their own Jesuit missionary, or "Black Robe," as they were called by the indigenous people. In 1669, Marquette

5478-447: The town, as there were frequent attacks from the Five Nations. During his two years at this mission, Marquette devoted himself to the study of the local languages and became fluent in six different dialects. In 1668, Marquette was moved by his superiors to missions farther up the Saint Lawrence River, then into the western Great Lakes region. That year, he helped Druillettes, Brother Louis Broeme, and Father Claude-Jean Allouez found

5561-411: The travelers found footprints near the Des Moines River and went to investigate. They were enthusiastically greeted by the Peoria who lived nearby in three small villages. Marquette and the others were welcomed by the elders, who offered accommodations and had a banquet prepared. The men were offered many gifts by the Peoria. Since Marquette and the men were traveling, they had to decline the most of what

5644-428: The tribes. In the late 17th century, the Iroquois, to expand their region and control the fur trade, forced the Kaskaskia and other Illinois out of their villages. They relocated to the south. Although the Illinois fought back against their primary enemy at the time, the wars scattered and killed many of their members. Eventually they reclaimed some of their lands. In the early 1700s, the Illinois became involved in

5727-400: The tribes. There are conflicting reports as to the number of villages and populations of the Illinois, both among the tribes and as a whole. When Europeans first documented the nation, the Illinois had villages along the Mississippi and Illinois River and a population of about eight or nine thousand. However, another report counts only five villages and about two thousand people. The former

5810-442: The village through domestic activities and through harvest. Growing bountiful produce, raising many children, and being a faithful wife were signs that led to an elevated status as well as respect among the natives. Men, on the other hand, could receive status through their achievements in battle and demonstrating courage and bravery. The capacity of their hunting skills led to a greater number of wives, which also promised respect in

5893-629: The villages. Within these polygamous marriages, wives who were unfaithful were punished severely, sometimes by having parts of their face cut off. Outside of stereotypical social roles, some Illinois men played out the roles of women, likening their appearance to them. These people were called the Ikoneta, and referred to by the French as berdache. Current ethnographers considers the Ikoneta to have been bisexual. While these roles were more deliberate, young boys that demonstrated feminine tendencies were brought up as girls in both outerwear and domestic roles. As according to culture, they were tattooed and taught

5976-453: The war that he would take them to a new mission and told them to prepare to move east. In the spring of 1671, Marquette and his party began their journey to the new St. Ignace Mission . The canoes were loaded with men, women, children, animals, and personal belongings. They travelled through Lake Superior and down to the Straits of Mackinac The mission that Dablon had established for them

6059-614: Was assigned to replace Allouez at the La Pointe du Saint Esprit mission. Father Claude Dablon arrived to continue and expand the missionary work at Sault Ste. Marie. Marquette began the 500-mile journey to his new assignment in August, travelling by canoe along the south shore of Lake Superior . The party soon encountered wintry conditions on the lake and were often unable to light a fire when they went ashore at night. The party reached their destination on September 13, and were greeted by

6142-572: Was considered an ideal place for training new missionaries. Marquette studied the languages and customs of the Algonquin, Abenaki, and Iroquois people that he often tended to at Sillery. From there, he was assigned to Trois-Rivières on the Saint Lawrence River , where he assisted Gabriel Druillettes . This mission was located in a river town that had permanent shops and taverns. A large number of French soldiers were stationed in

6225-510: Was designed to take advantage of a good location to conduct summer hunting and trading with the Quapaw which produced hides and meat, while then maximizing trade advantages with the French during the winter. It is suggested that the people later moved to Arkansas under pressure from the Iroquois . Their best-known chief was Agapit Chicagou . Benjamin Drake, writing in 1848, records that

6308-537: Was largely self-sufficient. In the course of their yearly activities, the Illinois people produced virtually all of the foodstuffs and other material products they needed to maintain their way of life. However, the Illinois also participated in an extensive trading network. 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. As time passed, traders and missionaries began to settle among

6391-410: Was located on Mackinac Island . The group would be welcomed by a small group of Ottawa who already inhabited the island. Shortly after the new residents arrived on the island, they became worried about the possibility of winter starvation. They had noticed that game was scarce and no corn had grown. A group of elders approached Marquette with these concerns, and Marquette agreed. In the fall, the mission

6474-538: Was moved to the mainland at St. Ignace, Michigan . Marquette's request to take a leave from missionary work to explore the great river was granted in 1673. Marquette joined the expedition of Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer. They departed from Saint Ignace on May 17, with two canoes and five voyageurs of French-Indian ancestry . Four of these are known to be: Jacques Largillier, Jean Plattier, Pierre Moreau, and Jean Tiberge. They travelled through Lake Huron and Lake Michigan and into Green Bay . This

6557-620: Was offered. Marquette did accept a calumet that was gifted to him by the chief. The chief explained that it was a symbol of peace and advised Marquette to display it as an indication of his amicable intentions. As the men left the village, the Peoria chief cautioned them against going too much farther south. As the party continued south, Marquette hoped to find the Chanouananons. They were known to be friendly to French, and Marquette felt they may be interested in Christianity. They did not find

6640-618: Was preserved in order to prepare for the coming winter. The second harvest collected ripened maize, which were eaten during warmer months. Fish was plentiful in the Illinois river, but the Illinois generally did not rely on fishing as sustenance. Hunters primarily sought bison, which were also numerous in the northern Illinois prairies. Hunting expeditions set out as individuals or groups, although sometimes in communal groups in which even women were able to participate. Annual bison hunts often necessitated groups of up to 300 people. In bison hunts, groups would split into several groups and surround

6723-569: Was sent to study at the Jesuit College in Reims at age 9. He remained there until he joined the Society of Jesus at age 17. Marquette taught for a year at Auxerre, then studied philosophy at Ponta Mousson until 1659. He taught at Ponta Mousson, Reims, Charleville, and Langres until 1665. Throughout this time, Marquette sent multiple requests to be sent on missionary work. The superior of

6806-570: Was the first European to explore and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River Valley. Jacques Marquette was born in Laon , France , on June 1, 1637. He was the third of six children for Rose de la Salle and Nicolas Marquette. The de la Salles were a wealthy merchant family. The Marquette family had been well-respected for many years, as numerous members had served in the military and taken civil posts. Jacques Marquette

6889-507: Was unsuccessful. He felt they may have misunderstood the intentions of the men with guns, and that they may have been inviting them to their village. Marquette was correct. He and the other men followed them to their village, where they were fed beef and white plums. At the mouth of the Saint Francis River, the men spotted a village. They heard war cries and saw men jumping into the river, trying to get to them. Marquette held

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