Where do the Illinois Indians live?
The Illini were original inhabitants of modern-day Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa. The Illini tribe was nearly wiped out by war in the 1700’s, and the survivors had to move to Kansas and Oklahoma. The Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma is made up of original Illinois Indians. How is the Illini Indian nation organized? The Peoria tribe of Oklahoma has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country. However, the Peorias are also US citizens and must obey American law. In the past, each Illini village had its own chief and was independent of the others. Illini chiefs made joint decisions in long councils. Today, the Peoria tribe is governed by a council of elected officials. What language do the Illinois Indians speak? Illinois Indian people speak English today. In the past, the Illini spoke their native Miami-Illinois language. It has this long name because two tribes, the Miami and Illini tribes, spoke the same language with different accents–just like Americans
