Using Archaeology to Follow Meskwaki Leaders across Pre-Statehood Iowa
Event Details
860 Quarry Rd.
Coralville, IA / 52241
Email: programs@johnsoncountyhistory.org
Phone: (319) 351-5738
Website: https://johnsoncountyhistory.org/event/meskwaki-archaeology/
Event Description
Cindy Peterson shares the stories and artifacts that uncover the history of Meskwaki migrations in the early 1800s. She’ll use her 20+ years of research and first-hand experience in the field of archaeology to bring to life the culture, ideas, and implications of the Meskwaki’s migrations westward–moves that were sometimes chosen for themselves and other times imposed by the U.S. government under the pretense of political treaties.
The University of Iowa’s Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) investigated several sites related to two important 1830s-1840s Meskwaki leaders: Chief Poweshiek and Chief Wacoshashe. Their villages moved from the Mississippi River to Rochester, Iowa City, the Coralville Reservoir, South Amana, the Skunk River, southwest Iowa, (possibly) Kansas, and finally, Tama County. While much remains to be discovered, a glimpse into village movements and layouts has been discerned through OSA’s archaeological work at trading posts, villages, winter camps, and a maple sugaring camp.
This event is free and open to the public.
Cindy works at The Office of the State Archaeologist as their Research Director. Her research interests include:
Midcontinental Late Prehistoric traditions, archaeology and ethnographies of Iowa’s historic tribes, archeology of European immigrant groups to the Midcontinent, industrial archaeology, public participation in archaeology.
Johnson County Historical Society Museum
860 Quarry Rd.
Coralville, IA
(319) 351-5738
