DICTIONARY OF INDIANS. 



23 



Illinois. — Continued. 



village consisted of seventy-four cab- 

 ins and was occupied by one tribe 

 only, but a few years later (1690-94) 

 missionaries reported it to consist of 

 three liundred and fifty cabins, oc- 

 cupied by eight tribes. "Tribes," as 

 used in this connection, probably 

 signifies, in part at least, only bands. 

 Father Sebastian Rale, who visited 

 the village in 1692 and reinained 

 there two years, placed the number of 

 cabins at three hundred, each of four 

 "fires," with two families to a "fire," 

 indicating a population of at least 

 10,000 — probably an excessive es- 

 timate. The evidence, however, 

 indicates that a large part of the con- 

 federacy was collected at this point for 

 a while. The Kaskaskia at this time 

 were in somewhat intiinate relation 

 with the Peoria, since Gravier, who 

 returned to their village in 1700, says 

 he found them preparing to start 

 south, and believed if he could have 

 arrived sooner "that the Kaskas- 

 kians would not thus have separated 

 from the Peouaroua [Peoria] and 

 other Illinois." By his persuasion 

 they were induced to stop in southern 

 Illinois at the point to which their 

 naine was given. It is evident that 

 the Cahokia and Tamaroa were at 

 this time located at their historic 

 seats in southern Illinois. These In- 

 dians were almost constantly har- 

 assed by the Sioux, Foxes, and other 

 northern tribes. It was probably on 

 this account that they concentrated, 

 about the time of La Salle's visit, 

 on Illinois river. About the same 

 time, or very soon thereafter, the Iro- 

 cjuois waged war against them which 

 lasted several years and greatly re- 

 duced their numbers, while liquor 

 obtained from the French tended still 

 further to weaken them. The miir- 

 der of the celebrated chief, Pontiac, 

 by a Kaskaskia Indian about the 

 year 1769, brought down the ven- 

 geance of the Lake tribes upon the 

 Illinois, and a war of extermination 

 was begun which in a few years re- 

 duced them to a mere handful, who 

 took refuge with the French settlers 

 at Kaskaskia, while the Sauk, Foxes, 

 Kickapoo, and Potawatomi took pos- 

 session of their country. In 1778 the 

 Kaskaskia still numbered 210, living 

 in a village three miles north of Kas- 

 kaskia, while the Peoria and Michi- 

 gamea together numbered 170 on 

 the Mississippi, a few miles farther 

 up. According to Hutchins, both 

 bands were demoralized and general- 

 ly worthless. In 1833 the survivors, 



represented by the Kaskaskia and 

 Peoria, sold their lands in Illinois and 

 removed west of the Mississippi. 

 The}- are now in Indian Territory, 

 consolidated with the Wea and Pian- 

 kashaw. 



Nothing definite is known of their 

 tribal divisions or clans. In 1736, 

 according to Chauvignerie, the to- 

 tem of the Kaskaskia was an arrow 

 notched at the feather, or two arrows 

 fixed like a St Andrew's cross, while 

 the Illinois as a whole had the crane, 

 bear, white hind, fork, and turtle 

 totems. 



The principal tribes or divisions of 

 the Illinois were five in number: the 

 Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, 

 Peoria, and Tamaroa. Among other 

 divisions mentioned by the early 

 writers are the Albivi, Ainicoa, Amo- 

 nokoa, Chepoussa, Chinko, Coiraco- 

 entanon, Espeminkia, Honabanou(?), 

 Mosopelea (?), Mouingouena, Neg- 

 aouichirinouek, Ocansa, Ochiaken- 

 end (?), Omouhoa, Pimitoui, and 

 Tapouara. Soine of these bands may 

 have been parts of the Miami, Wea, 

 or Piankashaw, who Avere closely con- 

 nected with the Illinois. In general 

 their villages bore the names of the 

 tribes occupying thein, and were con- 

 stantly varying in number and shift- 

 ing in location. 



The Illinois are described by early 

 writers as tall and robust, with rather 

 pleasant visages. The descriptions of 

 their character given by the early 

 missionaries differ widely; AUouez 

 and Marquette speak most highly of 

 them, describing them as the most 

 docile and susceptible of Christianity 

 of any of the western Indians; while 

 Membre and Marest describe them as 

 wandering, idle, fearfvil, irritable, in- 

 constant, traitorous, lewd, and brutal. 

 Their history appears to justify the 

 estimate of Marquette and AUouez, 

 and it is well known that they were 

 generally faithful to the French; on 

 the other hand, they appear to have 

 been tiiHid and fearful, easily driven 

 from their homes by their enemies, 

 fickle, treacherous, and lewd. They 

 were counted excellent archers, and, 

 besides the bow, used in war a kind 

 of pike and a wooden mace. Polyg- 

 amy was coininon among them, a 

 man sometimes taking several sisters 

 as wives. Unfaithfulness of wives 

 was punished, as among the Miami, 

 the Sioux, and other tribes, by cut- 

 ting off the nose ; and as the men were 

 very jealous, this punishment was 

 often , inflicted on mere suspicion 

 (Membre, Nar.). The husband was 



