As Durbin joins push, Cahokia Mounds takes another step toward National Park status

The momentum to make Cahokia Mounds a national park is growing in Congress.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, on Tuesday joined in the push to make Cahokia Mounds a National Historic Park, introducing a companion bill to U.S. Rep. Mike Bost’s bill in the House.

If passed, Durbin and Bost’s bills would provide the National Historical Park designation to the ancient Native American mounds in St. Clair and Madison counties near Collinsville, and the Sugarloaf Mound in St. Louis

“The Cahokia Mounds represent the indigenous peoples and landscapes that once made up one of America’s first cities in the Western Hemisphere,” Durbin said. “This designation would ensure we protect this fascinating historical site for generations to come.”

The 2,200-acre area near Collinsville, dubbed “America’s First City,” was first protected in 1923 when the Illinois Legislature authorized the purchase of the park, which once was an ancient Native American city somewhere between 1050 and 1350.

This marks the second push to designate the mounds as a national park. In 2016, an unsuccessful bid to have the park made into a national monument by HeartLands Conservancy, a Belleville-based non profit, gained support statewide and at the national level. However, President Barrack Obama failed to sign the legislation.

President and CEO of HeartLands Conservancy, Mary Vandevord, said supporting these bills is bringing the dream closer to reality.

“Thanks to the tremendous ongoing support from Senator Durbin and from Representative Bost, as well as Congressmen (Lacey) Clay, (Rodney) Davis, and (John) Shimkus, the ability to better preserve and celebrate the Mississippian Culture — America’s First Cities — is closer to becoming a reality.”

Bost introduced his bill to the House of Representatives in mid-July. At the time, he said among other benefits, a national park status would improve the promotion of the area’s Native American history.

“Making Cahokia Mounds and associated mounds sites in the region part of our national park system will help elevate this resource in our nation’s consciousness and deepen our understanding of the peoples and cultures of our past,” Bost said.

If the bills pass through Congress and are approved by President Trump, Vandevord said it could be a large boost to Southern Illinois’ economy.

“Elevating Cahokia Mounds and associated Mississippian mound groups to a National Historical Park would not only bring more national awareness to the Mississippian Culture, but also increase tourism in Southwestern Illinois and the St. Louis region,” she said.

In order to be considered for a national park designation, a site must meet several criteria: nationally significant natural, cultural or recreational resources; be a suitable and feasible addition to the National Park System, and it must be in need of protection and have no other protection from other government agencies.

Elevating Cahokia Mounds to the National Park system has been supported by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois House of Representatives, and many smaller layers of government.

Earlier this summer, the St. Clair and Madison county boards voted to support the mounds getting the designation.

This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 12:46 PM.