HJ0023 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0023 LRB099 06300 GRL 26369 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Long before Lewis and Clark, our region was home to the ancient societies of Mississippian Culture and the beginnings of urbanism in the eastern woodlands; it was from these societies that today's great Indian Nations sprang, with cultural connections from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and along the mighty Mississippi; the beginnings of this urban civilization was spread over 6 counties of eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois; and

WHEREAS, At the sea of verdure, the fertile American Bottom stretches bluff to bluff at the confluence of America's greatest rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, cradling the birth of millennia of agriculture and the rise of the Mississippian Culture; Cahokia Mounds and its mound complexes thrived on the cultivation and trading of corn, with their surplus allowing them to rise and become the "Center of the Universe" of the Mississippian Culture, trading to the north, south, east, and west; and

WHEREAS, Dating from the Mississippian period (800-1350 AD), Cahokia Mounds, covering 3,950 acres, is the earliest and largest pre-Columbian archaeological site north of Mexico and the pre-eminent example of a cultural, religious, and economic center of the pre-historic Mississippian cultural tradition, which extended throughout the Mississippi Valley and the southeastern United States; and

WHEREAS, With a population of 10,000-30,000 at its peak between 1050 and 1150AD, Cahokia Mounds is an early and exceptional example of pre-urban/urban structuring, graphically demonstrating the existence of a society in which a powerful political and economic hierarchy was responsible for the organization of labor, agriculture, and trade; this is reflected in the size and layout of the settlement and the nature and structure of the public and private buildings; and

WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds' unique role in the nation's history was recognized by the National Park Service through its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and its placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966; and

WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds' global significance was recognized by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization through its designation as a World Heritage Site in 1982; and

WHEREAS, Since 1925, State, local, and private funds have been invested in the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site for acquisition and protection; a formal national park service designation would capitalize on this investment; and

WHEREAS, Cahokia Mounds and its ancient non-contiguous satellite settlements are today in need of additional protection to secure the most significant remnants of the largest Native American civilization on the North American continent north of Mexico from active and passive threats; and

WHEREAS, With guidance from the Indian Nations, federal agencies, Illinois and Missouri state agencies, and local units of government, HeartLands Conservancy developed a thorough, compelling, and rigorous study that met National Park Service standards and criteria demonstrating the feasibility of elevating the status and national designation of Cahokia Mounds; the surrounding mound complexes in the region and their significance, suitability, and feasibility as a potential formal unit of the National Park Service would ensure that these precious ancient archaeological resources are protected and accessible for all people to experience; and

WHEREAS, Conducting 13 public meetings, media interviews, stakeholder meetings, outreach to 13 tribes/nations, and over 890 surveys, HeartLands Conservancy received support for the study's recommendations and showed that local communities would benefit from revitalized and protected sites with enhanced interpretive and educational programs to teach about the Mississippian Culture, its ancestral significance, and the numerous associated historic traces and cultural themes; and

WHEREAS, The study captured the significance of the region and its ancient history by demonstrating that, through cooperative protection and partnerships, it can remain connected and intact in order to properly interpret remaining sites as well as offering opportunities to protect, enhance, and interpret the natural environment along the Mounds Heritage Trail corridor; and

WHEREAS, National parks generate $31 billion for local economies each year and are shown to invigorate neighborhood historic renovation and spur business growth; they also provide opportunities for tourism and economic development, natural resource conservation, and improvements of the quality of life for residents of nearby communities; and

WHEREAS, There are no other mounds within the National Park Service that represent the Mississippian Culture as holistically and uniquely as the Cahokia Mounds; combined with the surrounding satellite mound centers, Cahokia emerges as the most significant and unsurpassed example of its time period; and

WHEREAS, The great region of southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri will, with the assistance of the Indian Nations, become a center of cultural outreach and enrichment by embracing our nation's earliest heritage and re-engaging our ancient past as a foundation for the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, Legislation will be introduced in Congress to create the Mississippian Culture National Historical Park in Southwestern Illinois, which, with thematically-connected non-contiguous mound complexes in the St. Louis Metropolitan Region, will recognize the significance of the Mississippian Culture and its unique national significance in agriculture, ancestral ties, and its status as one of America's first cities; and

WHEREAS, There is a strong consensus that now is the time for immediate action to further develop the Cahokia Mounds and thematically-connected mound complexes to realize their full potential; with new transportation access across the Mississippi River completed and the rebound of the economy, there is even greater pressure to develop this; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we show our support for the recommendations in "The Mounds - America's First Cities - A Feasibility Study" by HeartLands Conservancy and iterate that not only should the State of Illinois continue to own and operate the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and have a collaborative partnership with the National Park Service, but other communities, agencies, and entities should play a role in redeveloping and re-energizing these sites and establish strong and lasting partnerships; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the citizens of this State to actively join HeartLands Conservancy, the Governor of Illinois, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in the Mississippian Culture Initiative; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to elevate the national status of the Cahokia Mounds and thematically-connected Mound Complexes that are deemed suitable and nationally-significant as a non-contiguous National Historical Park; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we alternatively call upon the President to exercise his authority by Executive Order to designate the Cahokia Mounds as a National Monument; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the members of the Illinois congressional delegation, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, and President Barack Obama.