Summary of Historical Movements of Piankashaw Indians up to ca. 1708 (pp. 13-15)
/pg. 13/
The Piankashaws, one of several Algonquian-speaking "Miami" peoples, are first mentioned as a distinct entity by La Salle in 1682, when they were one of a number of Indian groups to come to his fort at Starved Rock, Illinois. It is not known if all the Piankashaws moved to Starved Rock at this time; nor is it known that all of the Piankashaws were
/pg. 14/
involved in all of the movements mentioned in this early historic period. It is also not known where the Piankashaws were before they came to Starved Rock, nor when precisely they dispersed from this area. Franquelin's 1684 map indicates that there was a village of Piankashaws on the north bank of the Illinois River just below the mouth of the Des Plaines River with a probable population of 150 men which would represent a village of about 600 persons. His 1688 map indicates a Piankashaw village in the prairies west of Fox River, & short distance from the Illinois River, The Piankashaws left the vicinity of Starved Rock no later than the end of 1688. Apparently they went to settle on the Mississippi River. Their precise location along the Mississippi, however; is not known. There were several Miami groups on the Mississippi River during the 1680's and 1690's, none of which seems to have been located above the mouth of the Wisconsin River. There was also at this time at least one "Miami" group situated somewhere to the west of the Mississippi. In 1690-1691 Piankashaws were within assembling distance of one of Perrot's posts (on the Mississippi below the mouth of the Wisconsin?) where he recruited them to attack the Iroquois Indians on behalf of the French. A short time after a Sioux attack on a "Miami" group in the early 169O's Piankashaws, formed, with some Pepikokias and Mengakokias, a village near the Fox-Wisconsin River portage. These Piankashaws participated in a revenge raid on the Sioux. Some time before 1698 and probably not before 1695 a Piankashaw village was located on the Illinois River a short distance downstream from the
/pg. 15/
juncture of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers. It seems probable that at this time, at least, there were several Piankashaw groups. Some Piankashaws apparently remained near the Mississippi at least until 1700, and possibly as late as 1710. This western group then disappears from the historical record. The second group of Piankashaws who moved from the Mississippi to the village near the Juncture of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers remained there for several years. This, apparently, is the group of Piankashaws whose later move to the Wabash River will be discussed in the next section of this report.
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