Nomination of Cahokia Mounds as a National Park and a National Monument

Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville, Illinois.

This ancient city flourished from A.D. 1050 to 1350.

Heartlands Conservancy has been working with constituent groups in Illinois–including Illinois archaeologists, the IAS, local and state governments, Native American tribes, non-profit groups and businesses–towards promoting site preservation of many important late prehistoric mound sites surrounding Cahokia Mounds. To increase the visibility of the sites, they have been working with the National Park Service as well as federal, state, and local legislators to nominate Cahokia Mounds and satellite mound centers for National Park status. Many of the nearby mound centers, such the East St. Louis site, Pulcher, and Emerald, are being or will be impacted by private commercial and agricultural enterprises. The elevation of Cahokia Mounds and these sites to National Park status may afford them some level of protection. Read Heartlands overview 2014 report on these initiatives. In 2019, U.S. Representative Bost and U.S. Senator Durbin introduced bills in Congress, and such initiatives have received the support of Governor Pritzker. 

U.S. Representative Bost's bill U.S. Senator Durbin's bill Governor Pritzker's support letter