|
Archaeologists can trace
early man in Peoria as far back as 10,000 B.C. Artifacts
and burial mounds yield evidence of a Native American
civilization that was highly organized, ritualistic, and
in harmony with nature. by 1650, the Illini
Indians, a part of the Algonquin Nation, populated the
area. The major tribes of the Illinois Confederacy
were: Peoria, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Cahokia,
Tamaroa.
The Illinois River valley
was a favorite winter fishing and hunting ground for the
nomadic tribes. The Indians named this region "Pimiteoui"
(Pee-Mee-Twee) which means "fat lake" or "lake of great
abundance." Other translations relating to the
area are:
Illini . . .
perfect people
Peoria . . .
traveling fire or prairie fire
Because of frequent warfare
with their enemies, the invading Iroquois and the Fox,
the population of the Peorias dwindled. Under the
Indian Removal Acts of the 1830's, the few remaining
members of the tribe were eventually forced to settle in
Oklahoma.
|
