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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site offers a chance to explore Native American culture Sept. 13-14 and watch as experts compete with the ancient “atlatl” spear-throwing device.
American Indian Educational Days takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13 and 14, in the site’s Interpretive Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. American Indian Educational Resources of St. Louis will provide information about Indian beliefs, customs, dress and regalia.
The weekend includes craft demonstrations and hands-on activities for children. A flute player, storyteller and dancer may also perform. The event is free.
Sept. 13 also includes the Missouri Atlatl Association’s annual competition. The atlatl is a tool used to throw thin spears. It provides more speed and force than throwing by hand alone. Atlatls have been known to propel spears more than 800 feet at speeds topping 90 mph.
Participants will compete for distance and accuracy with the atlatl, which was used by Native Americans for 10,000 years before the development of the bow and arrow. The competitors will utilize both ancient and modern versions of atlatls and spears. There will be an informational booth and an area where visitors can try their hand at using an atlatl.
For more information, call (618) 346-5160 or visit www.cahokiamounds.org.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is just eight miles from downtown St. Louis in Collinsville, Ill., off Interstates 55/70 (exit 6) and Interstate 255 (exit 24), on Collinsville Road.
The historic site’s mounds are the largest Native American earthworks north of Mexico. They were part of a huge city created by the Mississippian culture that flourished 1,000 years ago in the Midwest and South.
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