Mitchigamea
| Michigamea | |
|---|---|
| Mitchigamea, a large body of water | |
| Region | Illinois / Arkansas in the United States |
|
Miami-Illinois
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 |
cmm |
Linguist list |
cmm |
| Glottolog | None |
Mitchigamea or Michigamea or Michigamie were a tribe in the Illinois Confederation. Not much is known about them and their origin is uncertain. Originally they were said to be from Lake Michigan, perhaps the Chicago area. Mitchie Precinct, Monroe County in Southwestern Illinois takes its name from their transient presence nearby, north of the French Fort de Chartres in the American Bottom along the Mississippi.[1] One of their villages in the American Bottom, inhabited from 1730 until 1752, is one of the region's premier archaeological sites; it is known as the "Kolmer Site".[2]
It is suggested that the people later moved to Arkansas under pressure from the Iroquois. Their best-known chief was Agapit Chicagou.
The Jesuit Relations say: "At 5 miles from the village, I found the Tamaroa, who have taken up their winter quarters in a fine Bay, where they await the Mitchigamea, -- who are to come more than 60 leagues to winter there, and to form but one village with them."
In 1673, Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet used a Mitchigamea man, as a translator between the Illinois-speaking French, and the Siouan-speaking Quapaw.
The Quapaw were called by the Illinois "Akansea." This word appears on a Mitchigamea robe to describe a Quapaw village they had attacked. This robe has sometimes been attributed to the Quapaw but it is unlikely that they would use this term to describe themselves. The writing on the robe and the artwork appear to be by the same hand.
The Mitchigamea were an Algonquian-speaking group, like the rest of the Illiniwek. Tamaroa oral tradition sources in the 20th century indicate that Tamaroa (an Illinois dialect) and Mitchigamea were mutually intelligible except that Tamaroa pronounced words with an " sh " sound whereas Mitchigamea more often substituted a " tch " sound. Gravier's 1700 (circa) Tamaroa dictionary lists several obviously Illinois terms as Mitchigamea. As with many Native communities the Mitchigamea no doubt were familiar with many languages however sources that claim the Mitchigamea were primarily a Siouan speaking people must be viewed as suspect in their motives.
References
- ↑ Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, Illinois, J. L. McDonough & Co., Philadelphia, 1883, pg. 395
- ↑ Brown, Margaret Kimball. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Kolmer Site. National Park Service, n.d., 3.