Mascouten
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Extinct as a tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois | |
| Languages | |
| Algonquian | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Piankashaw and Kickapoo |
The Mascouten (also Mascoutin, Mathkoutench, or Musketoon) were a tribe of Algonquian-speaking native Americans who are believed to have dwelt on both sides of the Mississippi River adjacent to the present-day Wisconsin-Illinois border after being driven out of Michigan.
They are first mentioned in historic records by French missionaries, who described the people as inhabiting the southern area of present-day Michigan. In 1712, the Mascouten united with the Kickapoo and the Fox, after almost being exterminated by the French and the Potawatomi.
Survivors migrated westward. The Mascouten are last referred to as a band in historic records in 1779, when they were living on the Wabash River (in present-day Indiana) with the Piankashaw and the Kickapoo. The surviving Mascouten are noted in United States records of 1813 and 1825 as being part of the Kickapoo Prairie Band.
Their name apparently comes from a Fox word meaning "Little Prairie People". Historians do not know what they called themselves (autonym).[1]
References
- ↑ Lee Sultzman, "Mascouten History", Dickshovel, accessed 5 July 2010
- Johnson, M. and Hook, R. The Native Tribes of North America, Compendium Publishing, 1992. ISBN 1-872004-03
- "Wisconsin Historical Society." Wisconsin Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/>.
External links
- Mascouten history
- Access Genealogy - Mascouten Indian Tribe History
"Mascoutens Indians". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.- Wisconsin Historical Society