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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Long before Lewis and Clark, our region was home
3to the ancient societies of Mississippian Culture and the
4beginnings of urbanism in the eastern woodlands; it was from
5these societies that today's great Indian Nations sprang, with
6cultural connections from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico
7and along the mighty Mississippi; the beginnings of this urban
8civilization was spread over 6 counties of eastern Missouri and
9southwestern Illinois; and
 
10    WHEREAS, At the sea of verdure, the fertile American Bottom
11stretches bluff to bluff at the confluence of America's
12greatest rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, cradling
13the birth of millennia of agriculture and the rise of the
14Mississippian Culture; Cahokia Mounds and its mound complexes
15thrived on the cultivation and trading of corn, with their
16surplus allowing them to rise and become the "Center of the
17Universe" of the Mississippian Culture, trading to the north,
18south, east, and west; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dating from the Mississippian period (800-1350
20AD), Cahokia Mounds, covering 3,950 acres, is the earliest and
21largest pre-Columbian archaeological site north of Mexico and
22the pre-eminent example of a cultural, religious, and economic
23center of the pre-historic Mississippian cultural tradition,

 

 

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1which extended throughout the Mississippi Valley and the
2southeastern United States; and
 
3    WHEREAS, With a population of 10,000-30,000 at its peak
4between 1050 and 1150AD, Cahokia Mounds is an early and
5exceptional example of pre-urban/urban structuring,
6graphically demonstrating the existence of a society in which a
7powerful political and economic hierarchy was responsible for
8the organization of labor, agriculture, and trade; this is
9reflected in the size and layout of the settlement and the
10nature and structure of the public and private buildings; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds' unique role in the nation's
12history was recognized by the National Park Service through its
13designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and its
14placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds' global significance was
17recognized by the United Nations Education Scientific and
18Cultural Organization through its designation as a World
19Heritage Site in 1982; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Since 1925, State, local, and private funds have
21been invested in the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site for
22acquisition and protection; a formal national park service

 

 

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1designation would capitalize on this investment; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds and its ancient non-contiguous
3satellite settlements are today in need of additional
4protection to secure the most significant remnants of the
5largest Native American civilization on the North American
6continent north of Mexico from active and passive threats; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Over the last 24 months, with guidance from the
8Indian Nations, federal agencies, Illinois and Missouri state
9agencies, and local units of government, HeartLands
10Conservancy developed a thorough, compelling, and rigorous
11study that met National Park Service standards and criteria
12demonstrating the feasibility of elevating the status and
13national designation of Cahokia Mounds; the surrounding mound
14complexes in the region and their significance, suitability,
15and feasibility as a potential formal unit of the National Park
16Service would ensure that these precious ancient
17archaeological resources are protected and accessible for all
18people to experience; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Conducting 13 public meetings, media interviews,
20stakeholder meetings, outreach to 13 tribes/nations, and over
21890 surveys, HeartLands Conservancy received support for the
22study's recommendations and showed that local communities
23would benefit from revitalized and protected sites with

 

 

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1enhanced interpretive and educational programs to teach about
2the Mississippian Culture, its ancestral significance, and the
3numerous associated historic traces and cultural themes; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The study captured the significance of the region
5and its ancient history by demonstrating that, through
6cooperative protection and partnerships, it can remain
7connected and intact in order to properly interpret remaining
8sites as well as offering opportunities to protect, enhance,
9and interpret the natural environment along the Mounds Heritage
10Trail corridor; and
 
11    WHEREAS, National parks generate $31 billion for local
12economies each year and are shown to invigorate neighborhood
13historic renovation and spur business growth; they also provide
14opportunities for tourism and economic development, natural
15resource conservation, and improvements of the quality of life
16for residents of nearby communities; and
 
17    WHEREAS, There are no other mounds within the National Park
18Service that represent the Mississippian Culture as
19holistically and uniquely as the Cahokia Mounds; combined with
20the surrounding satellite mound centers, Cahokia emerges as the
21most significant and unsurpassed example of its time period;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The great region of southwestern Illinois and
2eastern Missouri will, with the assistance of the Indian
3Nations, become a center of cultural outreach and enrichment by
4embracing our nation's earliest heritage and re-engaging our
5ancient past as a foundation for the 21st century; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Legislation will be introduced in Congress to
7create the Mississippian Culture National Historical Park in
8Southwestern Illinois, which, with thematically-connected
9non-contiguous mound complexes in the St. Louis Metropolitan
10Region, will recognize the significance of the Mississippian
11Culture and its unique national significance in agriculture,
12ancestral ties, and its status as one of America's first
13cities; and
 
14    WHEREAS, There is a strong consensus that now is the time
15for immediate action to further develop the Cahokia Mounds and
16thematically-connected mound complexes to realize their full
17potential; with new transportation access across the
18Mississippi River completed and the rebound of the economy,
19there is even greater pressure to develop this; therefore, be
20it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
22ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
23CONCURRING HEREIN, that we show our support for the

 

 

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1recommendations in "The Mounds - America's First Cities - A
2Feasibility Study" by HeartLands Conservancy and iterate that
3not only should the State of Illinois continue to own and
4operate the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and have a
5collaborative partnership with the National Park Service, but
6other communities, agencies, and entities should play a role in
7redeveloping and re-energizing these sites and establish
8strong and lasting partnerships; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That we urge the citizens of this State to
10actively join HeartLands Conservancy, the Governor of
11Illinois, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in the
12Mississippian Culture Initiative; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to elevate the national
14status of the Cahokia Mounds and thematically-connected Mound
15Complexes that are deemed suitable and nationally-significant
16as a non-contiguous National Historical Park; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That we alternatively call upon the President to
18exercise his authority by Executive Order to designate the
19Cahokia Mounds as a National Monument; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
21delivered to the Governor, the members of the Illinois
22congressional delegation, National Park Service Director

 

 

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1Jonathan Jarvis, and President Barack Obama.