Origins, Groups, and Encounters

Origins, Groups, and Encounters. . , Where Did The Illinois Originate? , We know little about the Illinois before their early encounters with Europeans. They belong to the same language family (Central Algonquian) as the Miami, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, Pottawatomi, and Mascouten. We know that the Miami language was almost identical to Illinois, but all of these languages are close enough that they could understand each other. Although these groups were related linguistically, their political and social relations were often unstable. , While the archaeological record does not tell us much about the origins of many of these groups, it provides important clues concerning the Illinois. Ceramics produced here at the lliniwek Village by the Illinois are very similar to those found in the southwest corner of Lake Erie dating from between 1450 and 1550. Although no additional sites have yet been found linking the two regions, it seems likely that the Illinois came from that area, arriving in eastern Missouri sometime around 1640. , The Groups Of The Illinois , There are a number of terms that the Illinois used when referring to themselves, and the spellings vary widely based on phonetics. Linguists argue about the exact derivations of these, but it seems clear that the words Illinois and Iliniwek all come from a common term. It is also clear that the meaning of these was "we are men," or "we are people" (implying that others were not real people). , Historic accounts are inconsistent on the number and names, but generally the Illinois were divided into twelve subtribes. These were the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Tamaroa, Moingwena, Michigamea, Coiracoentanon, Chinkoa, Tapouro, Omouahoas, Espeminkia, and Chepoussa. They were spread from the south shore of Lake Michigan all the way to the St. Francis River in Arkansas. Once their numbers started to shrink through disease and warfare, remnant groups consolidated into a smaller number of villages with some groups disappearing completely. By the mid-18th century, only the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Tamaroa, and Michigamea survived.