Did the Native Americans ever partake in any large earth moving projects like making canals or tunnels before the arrival of the Europeans?

by PinkFloydPanzer

I read in the book "Calumet Beginnings" (written by a close friend of my mother) about the early history of northern Indiana according to this book the Grand Calumet River in Indiana a portion of it was dug out where the Pottawatomie Indians where they would portage their boats to Lake Michigan

rocky8u

Does building pyramids count? The city of Cahokia was built in what is now Illinois. It was a massive metropolis complete with massive earthen step pyramids built for various purposes.

It is now a National Historical Site.

knot_tangled

Ortona earthworks complex in Florida. Trading routes between various locations, also some possible defensive uses. Lots of work by UF folks in anthropology and archeology fields. For example http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00041/2j

Mictlantecuhtli

There are a number of large dams in Mexico such as the presa purron in Puebla or the dam at Teopantecuanitlan. The site of Kaminaljuyu also contained extensive water management structures.