'Kaskaskia' entry from Hodge's Handbook

Abstract: The 'Kaskaskia' entry from Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, edited by Frederick Webb Hodge (Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 30. GPO: 1910.)

Authors:  James Mooney and Cyrus Thomas, both of the Bureau of American Ethnology

Kaskaskia (perhaps akin to kask askahamwa [a = long a],  'he scrapes if off by means of a tool.' The Foxes have always held the Peoria in low esteem, and in their traditions claim to have destroyed most of them on a rocky island in a river. -- Wm. Jones). Once the leading tribe of the Illinois confederacy, and perhaps rightly to be considered as the elder brother of the group. Although the first knowledge of this confederacy obtained by the whites related, in all probability, to the Peoria while they yet resided on the Mississippi, it is probably that the references to them in the Jesuit Relations of 1670 and 1671, from the reports of Father Allouez, apply to the Kaskaskia on upper Illinois r. and possibly to some minor tribes or bands connected therewith whose names have not been preserved. Although it has been asserted that earlier visits than that of Marquette in 1673 were made to this people by the whites, there is no satisfactory evidence to justify this conclusion. Their chief village, which had the same name as that of the tribe, is supposed to have been situated about the present site of Utica, La Salle co., Ill. Marquette states that at the time of his first visit the village was composed of 74 cabins. He returned again in the spring of 1674 and established the mission of Immaculate Conception among them. It appears that by this time the village had increased to somewhat more than a hundred cabins. Allouez, who followed as the next missionary, states that when he came to the place in 1677 the village contained 351 cabins, and that while the village formerly consisted of but one nation (tribe), at the time of his visit it was composed of 8 tribes or peoples, the additional ones having come up from the neighborhood of the Mississippi. Although the known Peoria village was some distance away, it may be that at this time this tribe and the Moingwena resided at the Kaskaskia village. This is implied in an expression by Gravier, who speaks of the Mugulasha "forming a village with the Baiougoula [Bayogoula] as the Pioüaroüa [Peoria] do with the Kaskaskia." This, however, would lead to the supposition, if the statement by Allouez be accepted as correct, that there were other bands or tribes collected here at tht time of his mission whose names have not survived. Possibly they may have been bands of the Mascoutin or the Miami. Kaskaskia was the village of the Illinois which La Salle reached about the close of Dec., 1679, on his first visit southward from the lakes. He found it unoccupied, however, the inhabitants being on a hunting expedition. The French mission was maintained at this place under Fathers Rasles, Gravier, Binneteau, Pinet, and Marest, until about the close of 1700. At that time the Kaskaskia, influenced by a desire to join the French in Louisiana, resolved to separate from their brethren and migrate to the lower Mississippi. Gravier was much opposed to this movement, and although he arrived on the ground too late to prevent their departure, he was successful in checking the blow which the indignant Peoria and Moingwena were about to inflict on them. It was also through his influence that they were induced to hold at the mouth of the Kaskaskia r., where they made their home, on or near the site of the present town of Kaskaskia, Randolph c., Ill., untIl their removal w. of the Mississippi under the treaty of Oct. 27, 1832. According to Hutchins, in 1764 the Kaskaskia numbered 600, but he gives the number in 1778 as 210 individuals, including 60 warriors. They were then in a village about 3 m. N. of the present town of Kaskaskia, greatly degenerated and debauched. The tribe participated in the treaties of Greenville, Ohio, Aug. 3, 1795 and Ft Wayne, Ind., June 7, 1803 made by the tribes of the N. W. with Anthony Wayne and WIlliam H. Harrison. In the treaty of Aug. 13, 1803, at Vincennes, Ind., it is stated that the tribe constitutes 'the remains of and rightfully represents all the tribes of the Illinois Indians, originally called the Kaskaskia, Mitchigamia, Cahokia, and Tamaroi." By this treaty they were taken under the immediate care and patronage of the United States and promised protection against the other Indians. By treaty made at Castor HIll, Mo., Oct. 27, 1832, they ceded t the United States all their lands E. of the Mississippi except a single tract reserved to Ellen Ducoign, the daughter of their late chief. Previous to this, however, the remnants of the various tribes of the Illinois confederacy had consolidated with the Kaskaskia and Peoria. By the treaty of Washington, May 30, 1854, the consolidated tribes ceded to the United States part of the tracts held by them under the treaty of 1832, above mentioned, and under the treaty with the Piankashaw and Wea, Oct. 29, 1832, reserving 160 acres for each member of the tribe and 10, sections as a tribal reserve. By the treaty of Washington, Feb. 23, 1867, land was assigned them in the N. E. corner of Indian Ter.

The consolidated bands, including also the remnant of the Wea and Piankashaw and now knows officially as Peoria, numbered altogether in 1905 only 195, hardly one of whom was of pure Indian blood.

Their totem or crest was an arrow notched at the feather, or two arrows supporting each other like a St. Andrew's cross.
(J.M.  C.T.)

Cacachias. -- La Salle (1682) in Margry, Déc., ii, 96, 1877. Carcarilica. -- Hennepin, New Discov., 310, 1698 (?an Illinois division about 1680). Cas. -- Marain (1753) in Margry, Déc., VI, 654, 1886. Cascachias. -- Memoir of 1718 in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., IX, 891, 1855. Cascacia. -- La Salle (1682) in Margry, Déc., I, 508, 1875. Cascakias. -- La Harpe (1719), ibid., VI, 310, 1886. Cascaquias. -- Güssefefeld, map, 1784. Cascaschia. -- La Salle (1681) in Margry, Déc., II, 134, 1877. Cascaskias. -- Perkins and Peck, Annals of the West, 55, 1850. Cascasquia. -- Joutel (1687) in Margry, Déc., III, 476, 1878. Caskaguias. -- De l'Isle map (ca. 1710) in Neill, Minn., 1858. Caskaquias. -- Doc of 1748 in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., X, 142, 1858. Casquasquia. -- Joutel (1687) in Margry, Déc., III, 481, 1878. Casquiars. -- Writer in Smith, Bouquest Exped., 66, 1766. Casquias. -- Smith, ibid. Huskhuskeys. -- Croghan (1765) in Monthly Am. Jour. Geol., 272, 1831. Kacaskias. -- La Harpe (1719) in Margry, Déc., VI, 309, 1886. Kachkachkia. -- Marquette map (ca. 1678) in Shea, ibid., Kakaskígi. -- Gatschet, Shawnee MS., B. A. E. 1879 (Shawnee name, sing., Kakaskí). Kakasky. -- Imlay, West. Ter., 364, 1797. Karhaski. -- Loskiel (1794) quoted by Ruttenber, Tribes Hudson r., 336, 1872. Karkadia. -- Perkins and Peck, Annals aof the West, 64, 1850. Kasgresquois. Buchanan, N. Am. Inds., 155, 1824. Kaskaisas. -- Doc. Of 1717 in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., IX, 876, 1855. Kaskaiskas. -- Jefferys, French Doms., pt. 1, map, 1761. Kaskakias. -- Chauvignerie (1736) in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., IX, 1056, 1855. Kaskakiés. -- Vaudreuil (1760), ibid., I, 1092, 1858. Kaskascia. -- La Salle (1680) in Margry, Déc., II, 121, 1877. Kaskaskia. -- La Salle in Margry, Déc., II, 201, 1877. Kaskaskians. -- U. S. Ind. Treat. (1795), 184, 1873. Kaskaskies. -- Greenville traty (1795) in Harris, Tour, 241, 1805. Kaskasquia. -- Charlevoix (1724) in Schoolcraft, Travels, 136, 1821. Kaskkasies. -- Boudinot, Star in the West, 127, 1816. Kasqui. -- Coxe, Darolana, 13, 1741 (identical?).Kasquias. -- Vater. Mith., pt. 3, sec. 3, 351, 1816. Kasquuasquias. -- Doc. Of 1764 in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., VII, 641, 1856. Kiskuskias. -- Smyth, Tour in U. S., ##, 247, 1784. (Place name). Kuilka. -- Hennepin, New Discov. (1698), II, 667, 1903. Kuskeiskees. -- Johnson (1767) in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., VII, 966, 1856. Kuskuske. -- Adair, Am. Inds. 371, 1775. Quasquens. -- Iberville (ca. 1701) in Margry, Déc., IV, 544, 1880. Roinsac. -- Memoir of 1718 in N. Y. Doc. Col. Hist., IX, 891, 1855 (village). Rouinsac. -- ibid., 886 (said in note to be Kaskaskia village). Tchatchakigouas. -- La Salle (1679-81) in Margry, Déc., I, 481, 1877.

DOCUMENT INFORMATION
This document: www.prairienet.org/prairienations/kaskask.htm
Home page: www.prairienet.org/prairienations/index.htm
Transcriber:  Jim Fay
Questions or comments to: prairienations@prairienet.org