Helen Hornbeck Tanner is among the foremost experts on the history of Native American peoples in Illinois the the Great Lakes region.

During the Fall of 2004, Dr. Helen Hornbeck Tanner, an esteemed figure in the study of Midwestern History, spoke to a UIUC class on Native Americans in Illinois. Some excerpts of her presentation are below:

Listen to this Introduction (by Fred Hoxie)

Listen to Helen Tanner introduce herself

Questions for Helen Tanner:

4:06—6:31 Why is the Treaty of Greenville so important?

6:48—9:25 1660 Map and Euro-American Settlement / Early “Reservations”

9:25—12:17 What happened to the Eastern Native groups shown on this map?

12:17—14:04 How about the Proclamation Line of 1763? Was it important to Native people?

14:07—17:08 So what events do you consider to have been more important to the Natives?

17:08—20:31 What makes that treaty so important? How did it fit into U.S. History in general?

20:31—21:17 Can you tell us more about the Treaty of 1778 that you mentioned?

21:18—23:35 So how were these treaties affected by subsequent legislation…especially the Northwest Ordinance?

23:35—25:16 This period of U.S. History sounds fascinating and has been much-ignored. Can you recommend a source to learn more? <<Get cover of Warrior Woman>>

25:16—26:59 So how did the Natives and newcomers interact on this Ohio Frontier?

26:59—28:47 Was the outcome of this interaction inevitable? Were the American settlers
just that powerful?

28:47—31:31 So was it all about warfare then? <<<pic of Aupaumaut if possible>>>

31:40—34:25 How many Native groups were represented by the Grenville Treaty?

34:25—36:04 Were all of the region’s Indians represented then?

36:08—37:57 So how did all of this affect Illinois?

37:57—42:55 Did all of these movements of Native people and groups affect later history?
Could it have been different? And how did American settlement change the Illinois Country?

42:55—44:27 If the War of 1812 in the West was primarily fought between Native groups and American settlers, how did that side of the conflict finally end?

44:27—48:59 I have heard that you are particularly interested in the Kaskaskia people. Can you tell us more about them? Where are they today? <<pics: Ellen and John
White and the Campsville Field School??? Also Map showing Alton
and Campsville (with rivers and Kaskaskia)>>>