fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Sugarloaf Mound, the last remaining intact Mississippian mound is one step closer to returning to the Osage Nation.

Once part of “Mound City,” a network of over 100 earthen structures constructed by Native Americans between 800 and 1450 AD, Sugarloaf Mound is the sole surviving structure to a civilization nearly erased by colonization and urban development. 

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

The Mississippian culture, responsible for building Sugarloaf Mound and others, was one of the most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations in North America. At its height, it included Cahokia, a massive urban center just across the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. 

Cahokia, known for its towering Monk Mound, still the largest structure in the Americas, was home to an estimated 20,000 people during its peak around 1100 AD. 

Sugarloaf and Big Mound were among the most prominent structures in what is now St. Louis. These signal mounds were positioned along the Mississippi River, allowing communication with Cahokia via smoke signals. 

The mounds of St. Louis stood as landmarks when the city was founded in 1764, even drawing visits from European royalty. However, settlers soon repurposed the structures, demolishing them to make way for roads, railroads, and the 1904 World’s Fair. 

According to AP News, bones from Big Mound were reportedly discarded into the Mississippi River as the structure was dismantled. By the early 20th century, only Sugarloaf Mound remained. 

In 2009, the Osage Nation purchased a portion of Sugarloaf Mound and began stabilizing the site. A pivotal moment came recently when 86-year-old Joan Heckenberg, who has lived on the mound for 81 years, agreed to sell her property to the Osage Nation. 

Once Heckenberg moves or passes away, this part of the mound will officially return to the tribe. However, a house owned by Kappa Psi, a pharmaceutical fraternity, remains on the mound, and the fraternity has yet to commit to selling the property, AP News reported. 

Efforts to rematriate Sugarloaf Mound gained momentum with the 2023 Counterpublic triennial, a public art exhibition that turned the site into a symbol of Indigneous homecoming. Public programming led by the artist collective New Red Order, curator Risa Puleo, and the Osage Nation brought visibility to the sacred mound and its importance. 

The city of St. Louis has also taken steps to recognize the mounds’ significance. Alderman Cara Spencer announced plans for a resolution in January 2024 to formally acknowledge Osage sovereignty over the site.

Long-term plans include developing a cultural and interpretive center at Sugarloaf Mound, which overlooks the Mississippi River a few miles south of downtown. 

For the Osage Nation, reclaiming Sugarloaf Mound is more than preserving a sacred site, it is a step toward sovereignty and the restoration of their heritage. 

“To be able to at least salvage one mound in St. Louis, on the west side of the Mississippi River — it means a lot to us, to regain our heritage,” Andrea Hunter, director of the Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office, told AP News. 

More Stories Like This

50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal Relations
Muscogee Nation and City of Tulsa Reach Agreement on Criminal Jurisdiction and Public Safety Collaboration
Panel on Ethical Tribal Engagement at OU Highlights Healing, Research and Sovereignty
Groundbreaking Held for Western Navajo Pipeline Phase I – LeChee Water System Improvement Project
Navajo Citizens Voice Mixed Reactions to Trump’s Coal Executive Order at Public Hearing

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Kaili Berg
Author: Kaili BergEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Staff Reporter
Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq Nation, and a shareholder of Koniag, Inc. She is a staff reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Berg, who is based in Wisconsin, previously reported for the Ho-Chunk Nation newspaper, Hocak Worak. She went to school originally for nursing, but changed her major after finding her passion in communications at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.