In Timothy R. Pauketat’s Cahokia: Ancient America’s Great City on the Mississippi, Pauketat taught the readers about the ancient Native American civilization of Cahokia. Throughout the novel, Pauketat explains that Cahokia defied all perceptions of early Native American societies. With the help of various themes throughout the novel, Pauketat argues that Native American societies encompassed more than European ideas and descriptions. Alongside this argument, Pauketat aims to flesh out the vibrancy and diversity that lead to Cahokia’s ability to flourish as a Native American center. Due to this and the nature of Pauketat’s argument, one must evaluate the validity and the merit placed upon the novel. Throughout Pauketat’s novel, there are many themes and motifs; however, the most major themes were exchange and spirituality. As Pauketat explained the civilization of Cahokia, he often focused on the importance and crucial role in Cahokian society. In the…show more content… In the novel, spirituality and religion created some of the most important aspects of Cahokian society. Within the Cahokian society, spirituality and religion give a reason and a method for all actions that take place. When describing the routines of spirituality and religion in Cahokia, Pauketat explains that “the leaders of New Cahokian society may have believed that if they could associate themselves with the source of life and death on earth – with creation itself – their rule would be unquestioned and unchallenged” (111). In order to create this alignment, the rulers of Cahokia performed mass sacrifices, and these mass sacrifices further enforced hierarchical succession (Pauketat 111). In conjunction with these mass killing rituals and the elevation that they gave society, the social events that surrounded the mass killings gave way to diplomatic advantages and cultivate Cahokian power (Pauketat
