Was Illinois named after an Indian tribe?
The Illini Hundreds of years ago many different Native Americans lived in Illinois. Some of them were the Sauk, Mesquakie, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and Winnebago. The state is named after one tribe, the Illiniwek. The Illiniwek were composed of twelve smaller tribes.
What states have Indian names?
State Names with Native RootsNorth Dakota.South Dakota.Nebraska.Montana.Wyoming.Idaho.Utah.Colorado.More items...•
Where does the name Illinois come from?
"Illinois was named after the Illinois River, which was named by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, in an attempt to map the region's many rivers and waterways.
Is Chicago a Indian name?
The name “Chicago” is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as “Checagou” was by Robert de La Salle around 1679 in a memoir.
What is the most common Indian last name in the US?
Last Name/SurnameTotal1Rank4SMITH2,442,9771JOHNSON1,932,8122BEGAY17,5533LOCKLEAR19,716474 more rows
What is an Indian born in America called?
Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to as "Indians" and are known as "American Indians".
What indigenous land is Illinois on?
We are currently on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations.
What is the meaning of Illinois?
Definition of Illinois 1 plural : a confederacy of American Indian peoples of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. 2 : a member of any of the Illinois peoples. 3 : the Algonquian language of the Illinois.
What is the most common last name in Illinois?
Illinois. Welcome to Midwestern America, where Illinois' third most common last name is Williams, second most common is Johnson, and first most common is Smith.
Is Illinois French or Indian?
The word Illinois appeared in French literature and maps in the late 1600s after La Salle formally named it. Soon after French exploration in the area, the British gained control of Illinois before handing it over to the Americans after the American Revolution.
Why is American called Indian?
The word Indian came to be used because Christopher Columbus repeatedly expressed the mistaken belief that he had reached the shores of South Asia. Convinced he was correct, Columbus fostered the use of the term Indios (originally, “person from the Indus valley”) to refer to the peoples of the so-called New World.
Is Michigan an Indian word?
One account maintain the Michigan name is based on a Native American Chippewa word, "meicigama," meaning "great water." Another version of the name claims the state gets its name from Lake Michigan and that Michigan is a French conversion of the Ojibwa word misshikama, which means "big lake," "large lake," or "large ...
Do US states have Native American names?
Native American place names figure prominently as we move westward, in states such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. About half of America's states owe their names to Native American origin. Names with Spanish origins can be found in the West, including Colorado, New Mexico and California.
Is Ohio an Indian name?
OHIO: Iroquois Indian word meaning the river of the same name. "beautiful river," taken from the river of the same name. OKLAHOMA: Choctaw Indian word meaning “red people."
Is California an Indian name?
The name "California" derives from a 16th Century romance novel written by a Spanish author named Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo.
Is Nevada an Indian name?
Nevada was named for the nearby mountain range—mostly in California—called the Sierra Nevadas. The name comes from the Spanish settlers who marveled at the snowy peaks (nevada translates to “snow-covered”).
What is the name of the state Illinois?
The entire state is named Best People , and that’s something of which to be proud! Illinois is full of the very best people in the Midwest.
When was Illinois first named?
The word Illinois appeared in French literature and maps in the late 1600s after La Salle formally named it. Soon after French exploration in the area, the British gained control of Illinois before handing it over to the Americans after the American Revolution.
Why is Illinois named after the Illinois River?
Illinois was named after the Illinois River, which was named by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in an attempt to map the region’s many rivers and waterways. The French explored the area in the early 1600s and gave names to different villages and rivers based on the things and people they encountered on their explorations.
What is the name of the state that is nicknamed the Corn State?
Illinois isn’t the only name for the state. Its nicknames include “The Land of Lincoln,” “The Prairie State,” “The Corn State,” “The Garden of the West,” “Egypt,” due to the massive flooding in the Illinois city Cairo, and The Sucker State. How did the Best People become known as suckers?
When did Illinois become a state?
The state officially became a part of the union in 1818, having kept its Native American-inspired name for almost 200 years at that point. The river flowing through Galena, Illinois | © midnightcomm / Flickr. Illinois isn’t the only name for the state. Its nicknames include “The Land of Lincoln,” “The Prairie State,” “The Corn State,” “The Garden ...
Is Illinois a big state?
Illinois is a beautiful, big state, and anyone who lives in it can proudly pronounce it correctly. That’s Illi-noy—no pesky “s” at the end. However, most Illinoisans likely don’t know how the state got its unusual name.
Where did the Indians live in Illinois?
In historic times the Illinois Indians lived principally along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, one division, the Michigamea, being as far south as northeastern Arkansas. (See also Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin .)
How many people lived in Illinois in 1650?
Mooney (1928) estimated that in 1650 the Illinois numbered about 8,000. About 1680 Hennepin gives 400 houses and 1,800 warriors. Rasles estimated 300 cabins of 4 fires each, indicating a population of 9,000, which is probably excessive. About the year 1750 there were supposed to be from 1,500 to 2,000 souls. In 1778 the Kaskaskia numbered 210 and the Peoria and Michigamea together 170. In 1800 all these were reduced to 150. In 1885 the mixed-blood remnant in Indian territory, including the Wea and Piankashaw, numbered 149, and in 1905, 195. The census of 1910 gave 128, of whom 114 were in Oklahoma, and the census, of 1930, 284 Illinois and Miami. In 1937 there were 370 “Peoria” in Oklahoma.
Where did the French settle in Illinois?
In 1700 the Kaskaskia moved to southern Illinois and settled on Kaskaskia River. About the time of La Salle’s visit in 1682 the Illinois were at war with a number of neighboring peoples, and the Iroquois, who were then just beginning raids against them, caused them heavy losses in the succeeding years.
What tribes were in the war against Illinois?
The murder of Pontiac by a Kaskaskia Indian set the northern tribes in motion against the Illinois and in the ensuing wars the latter were reduced to a fraction of their former strength and the Sauk, Foxes, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi dispossessed them of the greater part of their territories. The remnant settled near the French at Kaskaskia, where they continued to decline in numbers until, in 1800, only about 150 were left. In 1832 the survivors sold their lands and removed west of the Mississippi, to the present Kansas, whence they removed again in 1867 and became consolidated with the Wea and Piankashaw in the northeastern corner of the present State of Oklahoma.
What are the names of the villages in Illinois?
The villages noted in history are: 1 Cahokia, near the present Cahokia. 2 Immaculate Conception, a mission among the Kaskaskia, near Rockford. Kaskaskia, as given above. 3 Matchinkoa, 30 leagues from Fort Crevecoeur, near the present Peoria. Moingwena, as given above. 4 Peoria, as given above. 5 Pimitoui, on Illinois River near the mouth of Fox River in La Salle County.
Who mentioned Chinko?
Chinko, mentioned by Allouez and La Salle.
Who applied Oudataouatouat to the Ottawa and later to the Illinois?
Oudataouatouat, applied by the Wyandot to the Ottawa and later to the Illinois.
Tribes and Bands of Illinois
The most prominent tribes in Illinois were the Illinois, Miami, Winnebago, Fox and Sacs (Sauk), Kickapoo, and Pottawatomie tribes. The Illinois Native Americans were composed of five subdivisions including Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Peorias, and Metchigamis.
Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace.
Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:
Researching Indigenous People in Illinois
It is usually best to start with a search at a local level such as the city, town, or village and then try the county or state. Links to county pages appear below.
Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward Native Americans was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency.
Illinois Indians Collection
About 30 free online books at the Internet Archive, resulting from a search for books on “Illinois Indians”.
Narrative of the Captivity of William Biggs among the Kickapoo Indians in Illinois in 1788
A 35-page description of the entire period captivity of a few weeks, from the time Bigg was taken prisoner until, with the help of French traders, he was able to buy his freedom. He was not really mistreated, and he is seldom critical of the Indians who held him. Native Americans in Illinois.
Some Account of the Indian Tribes formerly Inhabiting Indiana and Illinois
The author wrote in the introduction that this account of the Indians was condensed from a previous volume, with some new matter added.
The Last of the Illinois, & a Sketch of the Pottawatomies
The author was one of the early settlers in Chicago in the early 1830s, and had hunted and fished with the local Pottawatomie Indians for years. This address to the Chicago Historical Society combines his nostalgia for that life in nature with a review of what was known about the origins of the local Indian tribes. Illinois Native American History.
The Illinois Indian Trade 1783-1818
M.A. Thesis. The author’s theme is the competition among nations for supremacy over the Indian trade. He explores the processes and means used by countries to control this area, the methods they used to foster the growth of the Indian trade, and the various outcomes of their efforts. Native Tribes in Illinois.
French and Indians of Illinois River
The author wrote that this is a history of the country between the Wabash and Mississippi rivers, which was once occupied by the Illinois Indians. Some of the incidents in the narrative, “…are drawn from history, others from traditions, while many are from the statements of persons who figured in them.
The Pottawatomis: History and Folklore of the Indians of Kankakeeland
This small book with numerous illustrations was prepared by students of the Mark Twain School in Kankakee.
What does "ilinois" mean?
In the 21st century, however, linguistic research demonstrates that ilinois derives indirectly from irenweena, meaning 'he speaks in the ordinary way'. While the Ojibwa, who occupied neighboring areas around the eastern Great Lakes, 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", and "Iliniouek". The singular form evolved into the commonly known "Illinois".
How many people were in Illinois when they were first documented?
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 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.
Where did the Illiniwek tribe live?
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, 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.
What did the Inoka people call themselves?
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, a French Jesuit missionary, claimed that Illinois was derived from Illini in their Algonquian language, meaning 'the men'.
What was the main organ of the Illinois Confederation?
Main organ. Great Chief and lower peace chiefs and war chiefs. 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.
Why did the Iroquois move to the south?
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.
Why did the Iroquois tribes become well known to European explorers?
European colonization, values, and religion began to affect 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.
Overview
History
American Indians of successive cultures lived along the waterways of the Illinois area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. The Koster Site has been excavated and demonstrates 7,000 years of continuous habitation. Cahokia, the largest regional chiefdom and Urban Center of the Pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. They built an urban complex of more than 100 platform and burial mounds, a 50-acre (20 …
Etymology
"Illinois" is the modern spelling for the early French Catholic missionaries and explorers' name for the Illinois Native Americans, a name that was spelled in many different ways in the early records.
American scholars previously thought the name Illinois meant 'man' or 'men' in the Miami-Illinois language, with the original iliniwek transformed via French into Illinois. This etymology is not supported by the Illinois language, as the word for "man" is ireniwa, and plural of "man" is ireniwa…
Geology
During the early part of the Paleozoic Era, the area that would one day become Illinois was submerged beneath a shallow sea and located near the Equator. Diverse marine life lived at this time, including trilobites, brachiopods, and crinoids. Changing environmental conditions led to the formation of large coal swamps in the Carboniferous.
Illinois was above sea level for at least part of the Mesozoic, but by its end was again submerge…
Geography
Illinois is located in the Midwest region of the United States and is one of the eight states in the Great Lakes region of North America (which also includes Ontario, Canada).
Illinois's eastern border with Indiana consists of a north–south line at 87° 31′ 30″ west longitude in Lake Michigan at the north, to the Wabash River in the south a…
Demographics
The United States Census Bureau found that the population of Illinois was 12,812,508 in the 2020 United States census, moving from the fifth-largest state to the sixth-largest state (losing out to Pennsylvania). Illinois' population slightly declined in 2020 from the 2010 United States census by just over 18,000 residents and the overall population was quite higher than recent census esti…
Economy
The dollar gross state product for Illinois was estimated to be US$909 billion in 2019. The state's 2019 per capita gross state product was estimated to be around $72,000.
As of February 2019, the unemployment rate in Illinois reached 4.2%.
Illinois's minimum wage will rise to $15 per hour by 2025, making it one of the h…
Culture
Illinois has numerous museums; the greatest concentration of these are in Chicago. Several museums in Chicago are ranked as some of the best in the world. These include the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry.