SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES AT CAHOKIA MOUNDS STATE HISTORIC SITE

COLLINSVILLE, IL -- September will be a busy month at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, Illinois, with an Indian Pow Wow, a Nature/Culture Hike, an observance of the Fall Equinox Sunrise, Artifact Identification Day, and an Atlatl Spearthrowing competition.

           

The Thunderbird Society—Eagle Lodge will be hosting the annual Pow Wow Friday through Sunday, September 9 to 11, at the Cahokia Mounds picnic grounds.  American Indians from across the country will be doing traditional dancing at the Dance Circle Friday evening from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There will be both Northern Drum and Southern Drum groups providing the drumming and singing, and more than 30 traders will operate vending booths around the Dance Circle.  There will also be food booths, demonstrations and crafts.  The Pow Wow is free and open to the public. Visitors should bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during to watch the dancing.  For more information contact the event coordinator, Lora Garrett, at (314) 229-3835 or garredwolf@yahoo.com.  The Fall Indian Art Show that was scheduled for the same weekend in the Interpretive Center has been canceled and has been rescheduled for the first weekend of December.

           

A three-mile Nature/Culture Hike will take place Saturday, September 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  An archaeologist and a naturalist will lead hikers along trails through marsh, woodland and grassy areas, explaining what is known about the mounds and village areas that have been excavated along the trail, and the uses of the various plants and trees along the trail for food, medicine, fibers, dyes, housing, and more.  Participants should dress for the weather and bring along water and insect repellant.  The hike will be canceled if it is raining.

 

            An observance of the Fall Equinox Sunrise will be held Sunday, September 18 at 6:30 a.m. at the reconstructed Woodhenge, one-half mile west of Monks Mound.  These observances are held on the Sunday morning closest to the actual Equinox so that more people may attend and learn about Woodhenge.  The Woodhenge was a large post-circle monument built several times by the Mississippian Indians as a solar calendar - the rising sun aligned with specific posts at the solstices and equinoxes, and at other important dates in their calendar.  No rituals or ceremonies will be performed September 18, but an archaeologist will explain how Woodhenge was discovered, how it works and what is known about it.

 

            Artifact Identification Day will be held Sunday, September 18 from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the Interpretive Center.  The public can bring Indian artifacts they have found and several archaeologists will be available to identify what they are, the cultural period to which they belong, and the material from which they were made.  No monetary appraisals will be given.

 

            The Missouri Atlatl Association will hold its annual contest and demonstration at Cahokia Mounds Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  The public is invited to watch the competitors use these spear throwing devices, which Indians used before the introduction of the bow and arrow.  Participants will compete for accuracy at several distances with both modern and ancient versions of these weapons.  There will also be an area where visitors can throwing spears with an atlatl.

 

            Guided tours of Cahokia Mounds will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. during September and October.  Self-guided tours are available at all times through the free loan of a cassette player from the Information Desk or the purchase of a guidebook, available in 13 languages, in the Gift Shop.  For visitors with disabilities, a Braille guide is available, as is a 17-minute video tour of Cahokia Mounds that may be viewed upon request.

 

            Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is just eight miles from downtown St. Louis in Collinsville, Illinois, off Interstates 55/70 and 255, and Illinois Route 111, on Collinsville Road.  It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission fee, but a donation of $2 for adults and $1 for children is suggested.  For more information, call (618) 346-5160, Wednesday through Sunday, or consult the website at www.cahokiamounds.com.