COLLINSVILLE -- The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, an ancient treasure of Indian culture in St. Louis’ backyard, has been so hurt by Illinois funding cuts that a nonprofit society has turned to the public to pay for brochures for visitors.
On Jan. 30, the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society set up a plea on the fund-raising site, gofundme.org, to raise $7,500. By Wednesday, it had surpassed its goal; by Friday, it had raised $8,716, from 543 people.
The $7,500 will cover printing of about 200,000 brochures, expected to last about three years, said Lori Belnap, executive director of the society.
“We were so happy to see we got everything we needed to print the brochures and so happy to see all the support for our site,” said Belnap. “I’m so grateful the word got out.”
Any surplus from the donations will be used for one of the society’s other projects, all of them strapped by state cuts, she said.
People are also reading…
Treasured by archaeologists, historians and interested others around the world, the Cahokia Mounds and nearby mounds were part of a Mississippian civilization that flourished from 1000 A.D. to 1350 A.D.
One of the largest American Indian sites north of the great Pre-Columbian cities in Mexico, Cahokia Mounds is believed to have had at least 20,000 inhabitants by 1100 A.D., more than London at the time.
It’s one of only 22 World Heritage sites in the United States listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Cahokia Mounds is run by the state-funded Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which pay for operations, salaries, utilities and equipment.
Chris Wills, public information officer for the agency, said the state cut the agency’s fiscal 2015 funding for historic sites by $1.1 million, or 20 percent, from 2014. He said that left $4.9 million to operate 56 sites this year. When the agency was created 29 years ago, it received $4 million to operate 41 sites, Wills said.
Belnap’s nonprofit society operates a gift shop in the interpretive center and raises about $300,000 a year. She said revenue suffered from shortened operating hours and some curtailed activities.
Outdoor areas are open to the public every day. But in September, the interpretive center started closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, two months earlier than the usual winter break. It may continue that way until the fiscal year ends June 30. If that happens, Belnap said, the society’s funding problems will worsen.
The society pays for educational programs — including Kids Day in May and Archaeology Day in August — plus other programs, research and promotions. It also is working to acquire 1,000 acres to expand the 2,200-acre protected state site.
Newly elected Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed having the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity absorb the Historic Preservation Agency and administer Cahokia Mounds and other sites and under the Bureau of Tourism. Legislative approval would be required.
Additionally, the private Heartlands Conservancy is seeking to have Congress place the mounds under the auspices of the National Park Service. The conservancy recommends designating a Mississippian Culture National Monument/National Historical Park. Under a tentative plan, the state would still control Cahokia Mounds, but it would get increased national recognition.
“We’re moving forward with the effort and have continued to gain momentum,” said Ed Weilbacher, vice president of Heartlands.
He cited a large number of governmental and private endorsements, including from the legislature. Apart from the museum aociety, the conservancy is trying to raise $100,000 in 2015-16 for its effort.
Christopher Krusa, a volunteer at Cahokia Mounds and a member of the Cahokia Archaeological Society, said he hopes the financial troubles will be worked out.
“We all do,” he said. “All of our volunteers take great pride in doing their work here.”
