 Ho-Chunk Congress Members in 1898 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 12,055 (2024)[1][2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States (Wisconsin,Nebraska,Iowa, andMinnesota) | |
| Languages | |
| English,Hocąk | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional Hocąk Way,Native American Church,Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Iowa,Otoe, andMissouria |
TheHo-Chunk, also known asHocąk,Hoocągra, orWinnebago are aSiouan-speakingNative American people whose historic territory includes parts ofWisconsin,Minnesota,Iowa, andIllinois. Today, Ho-Chunk people are enrolled in twofederally recognized tribes, theHo-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and theWinnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Historically, the surroundingAlgonquin tribes referred to them by a term that evolved to Winnebago, which was later used as well as by the French and English. The Ho-Chunk Nation have always called themselves Ho-Chunk. The nameHo-Chunk comes from the wordHoocąk and "Hoocąkra," (Ho meaning "voice",cąk meaning "sacred",ra being a definitive article) meaning "People of the Sacred Voice". Their name comes from oral traditions that state they are the originators of the many branches of theSiouan language.
The Ho-Chunk claim descendancy from both the effigy mound-buildingLate Woodland Period cultures and the successorOneota culture; they say their ancestors built the thousands ofeffigy mounds through Wisconsin and surrounding states. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Ho-Chunk were the dominant tribe in its territory in the 16th century, with a population estimated at several thousand. They lived in permanent villages ofwigwams and adopted cultivated corn, squash, and beans; they gathered wild rice, hunted woodland animals, and used canoes to fish.
Dugout canoes found near many small lakes and rivers are prompting new anthropological research projects near Madison, Wisconsin that may yield better information about ancient settlements.[3]
Before the US government removed the Ho-Chunk from their native land in Wisconsin, the tribe consisted of 12clans with specific roles often assigned to clans. Wars with theIllinois Confederacy and later wars with theOjibwe,Potawatomi,Meskwaki, andSauk peoples pushed them out of their territories in eastern Wisconsin and Illinois, along with conflicts with the United States such asWinnebago War andBlack Hawk War. The Ho-Chunk suffered severe population loss in the 17th century to a low of perhaps 500 individuals. This has been attributed to casualties of a lake storm,epidemics ofinfectious disease, and competition for resources from migrating Algonquian tribes. By the early 1800s, their population had increased to 2,900, but they suffered further losses in thesmallpox epidemic of 1836. In 1990 they numbered 7,000; current estimates of total population of the two tribes are 12,000.
Through a series of moves imposed by the U.S. government in the 19th century, the tribe was relocated to reservations increasingly further west: in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,South Dakota, and finallyNebraska. Oral history suggests some of the tribe may have been forcibly relocated up to 13 times by the federal government through forced treaty cession, losses estimated at 30 million acres in Wisconsin alone (they ceded lands in Wisconsin in 1829, 1832 and 1837; further removal attempts occurred in Wisconsin in 1840, 1846, 1850, and 1873–4). During these removals, bands of Ho-Chunk hid out in Wisconsin rather than be moved. In 1832, other bands of Ho-Chunk were moved to the Neutral Ground Reservation in eastern Iowa, where they faced hostile conditions between the warringDakota people and Sauk peoples. They were removed from Iowa in 1848 into Minnesota, where they were moved twice fromTodd County, Minnesota toBlue Earth County, Minnesota. After theDakota War of 1862 and tensions created by thehate groupKnights of the Forest, about 2,000 Ho-Chunk were interned atCamp Porter in Mankato before being expelled from Minnesota intoCrow Creek, South Dakota in 1863.
The Ho-Chunk oftennonviolently resisted removal by staying home, or simply returning home, rather than engaging in uprisings. Poor conditions at Crow Creek led many Ho-Chunk to leave for theOmaha Reservation in Nebraska; TheWinnebago Reservation was founded for the Ho-Chunk in Nebraska in 1865. TheHo-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin is considered a "non-reservation" tribe, as members historically had to acquire individual homesteads in order to regain title to ancestral territory; they hold land in more than 13 counties in Wisconsin and have land in Illinois.[4] The federal government has granted legalreservation status to some of these parcels, but the Ho-Chunk nation does not have a contiguous reservation in the traditional sense. While related, the two tribes are distinct federally recognized sovereign nations and peoples, each with its own constitutionally formed government and completely separate governing and business interests. Since the late 20th century, both tribal councils have authorized thedevelopment of casinos. The Ho-Chunk Nation is working on language restoration and has developed a Hoocąk-languageiOS app and online dictionary.[5]
The Ho-Chunk speak aSiouan language, which they believe was given to them by their creator, Mą’ųna (Earthmaker).[citation needed] Their native name isHo-Chunk (or Hoocạk), which has been variously translated as "sacred voice" or "People of the Big Voice", meaningmother tongue, as in they originated the Siouan language family.[6]
NeighboringSiouan tribes refer to the Ho-Chunk by translations of their name into the their language, such asHotúŋe in theIowa-Otoe language) orHotháŋka in theDakota language. The term "Winnebago" is a term used by thePotawatomi, pronounced as "Winnipego".
TheJesuit Relations of 1659–1660 said:
He started, in the month of June of the year one thousand six hundred and fifty-eight, from the lake of the Ouinipegouek, which is strictly only a large bay in lake Huron. It is called by others, the lake of the stinkards, not because it is salt like the water of the Sea—which the Savages call Ouinipeg, or stinking water—but because it is surrounded by sulphurous soil, whence issue several springs which convey into this lake the impurities absorbed by their waters in the places of their origin.[7]
Nicolas Perrot was a 17th-century French trader who believed that the Algonquian terms referred to saltwater seas, as these have a distinctive aroma compared with freshwater lakes.[8] An earlyJesuit record says that the name refers to the origin ofLe Puans near the saltwater seas to the north.[9] When the explorersJean Nicolet andSamuel de Champlain learned of the "sea" connection to the tribe's name, they were optimistic that it meantLes Puans were from or had lived near thePacific Ocean. They hoped it indicated a passage toChina via the great rivers of the Midwest.
Before Europeans ventured into Ho-Chunk territory, the Ho-Chunk were known to hunt, farm, and gather food from local sources, including nuts, berries, roots, and edible leaves. They knew what the forest and river's edge had to give and both genders had a role in making best use of resources. With the changing seasons, Ho-Chunk families moved from area to area to find food. For example, many families returned toBlack River Falls, Wisconsin, to pick berries in the summer.
Ho-Chunk women were responsible for growing, gathering, and processing food for their families, including the cultivation of varieties of corn and squash, in order to have different types through the growing season; and gathering a wide variety of roots, nuts, and berries, as well as sap from maple trees. In addition, women learned to recognize and use a wide range of roots and leaves for medicinal and herbal purposes.[10] The maple sap was used to make syrup and candy. Women also processed and cooked game, making dried meats combined with berries to sustain their families when traveling. Tanned hides were used to make clothing and storage bags. They used most parts of the game for tools, binding, clothing, and coverings for dwellings. They were responsible for the survival of the families, caring for the children as well as elders.[11]
The main role of the Ho-Chunk man was as a hunter—and a warrior when needed. Leaders among the men interfaced with other tribes. As hunters, they speared fish and clubbed them to death. The men also hunted game such as muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, and deer.[12] Some men learned to create jewelry and other body decorations out of silver and copper, for both men and women.[11] To become men, boys would go through a rite of passage at puberty: they fasted for a period during which they were expected to acquire a guardian spirit; without it, their lives would be miserable.
Besides having a guardian spirit, men would also try to acquire protection and powers from specific spirits, which was done by making offerings along with tobacco.[13] For example, a man would not go on the warpath without first performing the "war-bundle feast", which contained two parts. The first part honored the night-spirits and the second part honored theThunderbird spirit. The blessings these spirits gave the men were embodied in objects that together made the war-bundle. These objects could include feathers, bones, skins, flutes, and paints.[12]
Ho-Chunkoral history says they have always lived in their current homelands of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois.[14] TheirSiouan language indicates common origin with other peoples of this language group. They say their ancestors built the thousands ofeffigy mounds through Wisconsin and surrounding states[15] during theLate Woodland period. In the TerminalLate Woodland Period, the practice of building effigy mounds abruptly ceased with the appearance of theOneota Culture. The Ho-Chunk claim descendancy from both the effigy mound-building Late Woodland cultures and the successor Oneota Culture.[16] The tribe historically adoptedcorn agriculture at the end of theLate Woodland period as well as hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants. They cultivatedwild rice (Zizania spp.) and gathered sugar fromsugar maple trees.
European contact came in 1634 with the arrival of French explorerJean Nicolet. He wrote that the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk occupied the area around Green Bay ofLake Michigan in Wisconsin, reaching beyond Lake Winnebago to theWisconsin River and to theRock River inIllinois. The oral history also indicates that in the mid-16th century, the influx ofOjibwe peoples in the northern portion of their lands caused the Ho-Chunk to move to the south of their territory. They had some friction with the tribes of theIllinois Confederacy as well as fellowChiwere-speaking peoples splitting from the Ho-Chunk. These groups, who became theIowa,Missouria, andOtoe tribes, moved south and west because the reduced range made it difficult for such a large population to be sustained.[17]
Nicolet reported a gathering of approximately 5,000 warriors as the Ho-Chunk entertained him. Historians estimate that the population in 1634 may have ranged from 8,000 to more than 20,000. Between that time and the first return ofFrench trappers and traders in the late 1650s, the population was reduced drastically. Later reports were that the Ho-Chunk numbered only about 500. When numerous Algonquian tribes migrated west to escape the aggressiveIroquois tribes in theBeaver Wars, they competed for game and resources with the Ho-Chunk, who had to yield to their greater numbers.
The reasons historians give for the reduction in population vary, but they agree on three major causes: the loss of several hundred warriors in a storm on a lake,infectious diseaseepidemics after contact with Europeans, and attacks by the Illinois Confederacy. The warriors were said to be lost on Lake Michigan after they had repulsed the first attack by invading thePotawatomi from what is nowDoor County, Wisconsin.[18] Another says the number was 600.[19] Another claim is that the 500 were lost in a storm on Lake Winnebago during a failed campaign against theMeskwaki,[20] while yet another says it was in a battle against theSauk.[21] Even with such a serious loss of warriors, the historian R. David Edmunds notes that it was not enough to cause the near elimination of an entire people. He suggests two additional causes.[22] The Winnebago apparently suffered from a widespread disease, perhaps anepidemic of one of the Europeaninfectious diseases. They had noimmunity to the new diseases and suffered high rates of fatalities. Ho-Chunk accounts said the victims turned yellow, which is not a trait ofsmallpox.[17] Historians have rated disease as the major reason for the losses in all Native American populations. Edmunds notes as a third cause of the population decline the following historic account: decimation by the Illinois Confederacy. The Ho-Chunk had been helped at one time by many of their enemies, in particular the Illinois Confederacy, during their time of suffering andfamine, aggravated by the loss of their hunters. The Winnebago then attacked the Illinois Confederacy. Enraged, additional Illinois warriors retaliated and killed nearly all the Ho-Chunk.[22]
After peace was established between the French and Iroquois in 1701, many of theAlgonquian peoples returned to their homelands to the east. The Ho-Chunk were then relieved of that pressure on their territory and after 1741, most returned inland.[17] From a low of perhaps less than 500, the population gradually recovered, aided byintermarriage with neighboring tribes and some of the French traders and trappers. A count from 1736 gives a population of 700; in 1806, they numbered more than 2,900. A census in 1846 reported 4,400 people but by 1848, there were reportedly 2,500. Like other Native American tribes, the Ho-Chunk suffered great losses during thesmallpoxepidemics of 1757–58 and 1836. In the 19th-century epidemic, they lost nearly a quarter of their population.[17] Today the Ho-Chunk population is about 12,000.
TheBlack Hawk War of 1832 was fought largely on Ho-Chunk land. In early 1832, White Cloud invited the Sauk band to live in the Rock River band's Illinois villages. About 1,200 Ho-Chunk, Fox, Kickapoo, and others came, from locations such asSaukenuk on the Iowa reservation, where there was little food. The arrivals includedBlack Sparrow Hawk, who had been a leading warrior of theBritish Band during theWar of 1812.[23]
Through a series of moves imposed by the U.S. government in the 19th century, the tribe was relocated to reservations increasingly further west: in Wisconsin, Minnesota,South Dakota, and finallyNebraska. Oral history suggests some of the tribe may have been forcibly relocated up to 13 times by the federal government to steal land through forced treaty cession, losses estimated at 30 million acres in Wisconsin alone.[24] The Ho-Chunk oftennonviolently resisted removal by staying home, or simply returning home, rather than engaging in uprisings.[25]
The Winnebago ceded lands in Wisconsin in 1829, 1832 and 1837; further removal attempts occurred in Wisconsin in 1840, 1846, 1850, and 1873–4.[26]
The 1848 removal from Iowa was documented by a soldier in Morgan's Mounted Volunteers. About 2,500 people were forced to travel by wagon, on foot, and on horseback fromFort Atkinson, Iowa toWinona, Minnesota, and thence bysteamboat to a new Reservation covering parts ofStearns,Morrison, andTodd Counties, and with its agency atLong Prairie, Minnesota.[27][28] The Long Prairie Reservation, which was heavily wooded, was more suitable for logging than for farming.[29] Writing in 1915,St. Cloud, Minnesota journalist and local historian William Bell Mitchell recalled that as of 1850, the Ho-Chunk "had one of their main villages on the west bank of theMississippi River", and at the mouth of theWatab River in what is nowSartell, Minnesota.[30] The Long Prairie Reservation was dissolved in 1855, and its residents were moved toBlue Earth County, Minnesota.[29] While relating a May 1860 series of raids and revenge killings between theChippewa andDakota peoples in which one Ho-Chunk warrior was also killed inMaine Prairie Township,Stearns County, Minnesota, George W. Sweet, a pioneer settler ofSauk Rapids, recalled, "The Winnebagoes were supposed to be a neutral party between the Sioux and Chippewa, but occasionally a Winnebago would join a party of Sioux on a raid against the Chippewas."[31]
During the 1862Dakota War, a very small faction of the Ho-Chunk led by Chief Little Priest joined forces with the uprising and its figurehead leader, ChiefLittle Crow. This had disastrous results for all the Ho-Chunk living in Minnesota.
In 1863, the Ho-Chunk were forced to leave Blue Earth County by theKnights of the Forest, asecret societyhate group organized by vengeful prominent pioneer settlers in nearbyMankato.[32] Blue Earth County commissioners sent for "negro bloodhounds" from the South to assist the Knights of the Forest.[33] The Knights sent armed men to surround the Ho-Chunks' prime farmland and shoot any Ho-Chunk who crossed the line.[34] About 2,000 Ho-Chunk were interned atCamp Porter in Mankato, and thence removed to theCrow Creek Indian Reservation inDakota Territory. Poor conditions at Crow Creek led many Ho-Chunk to leave for an Omaha reservation in Nebraska. TheWinnebago Reservation was founded for the Ho-Chunk in Nebraska in 1865.[29][35][36]
Following the forced relocations, many tribe members returned to previous homes, especially in Wisconsin, despite the U.S. Army's repeated roundups and forced removals.[26] But the federal government finally allowed the Winnebago to resettle and acquire land in their ancestral homeland in Wisconsin, which eventually received recognition as an official Reservation known as theHo-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. The Ho-Chunk in Nebraska have gained independent federal recognition as a tribe and have a reservation inThurston County. The Ho-Chunk Nation now has a constitution that reinforces itssovereign abilities to negotiate with the US government.
Waukon andDecorah, county seats ofAllamakee andWinneshiek County, Iowa, respectively, were named after the 19th-century Ho-ChunkChief Waukon Decorah.
Before the US government removed the Ho-Chunk from their native land in Wisconsin, the tribe consisted of 12clans (see table). In pre-contact Ho-Chunk society, clans were typically associated with specific social roles; for instance, the Thunderbird Clan was the clan from which chiefs were appointed,[37] while the Bear Clan enforced discipline within the community and oversaw prisoners.[38]
| Name | Translation |
|---|---|
| Wakąja | Thunderbird |
| Wonąǧire Wąąkšik | People of War |
| Caxšep | Eagle |
| Rucge | Pigeon |
| Hųc | Bear |
| Šųkjąk | Wolf |
| Wakjexi | Water-spirit |
| Ca | Deer |
| Hųųwą | Elk |
| Cexjį | Buffalo |
| Ho | Fish |
| Waką | Snake |
| [39] | |
The clans were associated with animal spirits representing the traditional responsibilities within the nation; each clan had a role in the survival of the people. Like other Native Americans, the Ho-Chunk had rules generally requiring people to marry outside their clans. Thekinship system was based in the family and gave structure to descent and inheritance rules. Although the tribe ispatrilineal today, anthropologists believe they may have had amatrilineal kinship system in the 17th century before their major losses. At that time, the matriarchs of a clan would name its chief and they could reclaim the position if they disapproved of his actions. The Ho-Chunk may have shifted to the patrilineal system due to marriage into other tribes or under the influence of the male-oriented fur trade.[40]
Today there are twofederally recognized tribes of Ho-Chunk people, theHo-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and theWinnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
This tribe is headquartered inBlack River Falls, Wisconsin.[41] Formerly known as theWisconsin Winnebago Tribe, it changed its name to "Ho-Chunk Nation" to take back the traditional Siouan name. Ho-Chunk usually call themselvesHoocąk waaziija haci meaning "sacred voice people of the Pines". They also call themselveswąąkšik – "people". They are the larger of the two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes.
The Ho-Chunk have established theHoocąk Waaziija Haci Language and Culture Division, which has developed materials to teach and restore use of theHocąk language and other elements of their culture. Among its recent innovations is the development of a Hocąk-language app for theiPhone.[42] The Ho-Chunk have about 200 native speakers among its elders.[43]
Of the 7,192 tribal members as of May 2011, 5,042 lived in Wisconsin. The tribes own 4,602 acres (18.625 km2) scattered across parts of 12 counties in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. The largest concentrations are inJackson,Clark, andMonroe counties in Wisconsin. Smaller areas lie inAdams,Crawford,Dane,Juneau,La Crosse,Marathon,Rock,Sauk,Shawano, andWood counties in Wisconsin. The Ho-Chunk Nation also owns land inLynwood, Illinois.[44]
The Ho-Chunk Nation established a written constitution and is governed by an elected council. As of 2023[update], the current president is Jon Greendeer.
Since the late 20th century, the tribe operates six casinos in Wisconsin, in order to raise funds:
In February 2013, the Beloit Common Council sold land to the Ho-Chunk Nation for a proposed casino.[49]
The council has used revenues to enhance infrastructure, healthcare, and educational support for its people.
In 1988, the Ho-Chunk Nation filed a timely claim for transfer of theBadger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP), which was to be declared surplus under federal regulations. As part of their former traditional territory, the property holds historical, archeological, sacred, and cultural resources important to their people. It is a 1500-acre parcel inSauk County, Wisconsin. Between 1998 and 2011, the Army spent millions of dollars in environmental assessments and cleanup to prepare the property for transfer. In 1998 theSecretary of the Interior had issued a letter to claim the land on behalf of the Ho-Chunk but in 2011, theBureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) refused to accept the property. It was unwilling to conduct an environmental assessment due to cost.[50]
In 2012 theNational Congress of American Indians (NCAI) passed a resolution in support of the Ho-Chunk and to encourage the BIA to accept surplus lands in trust on behalf of tribes.[50] Finally, through a special act of congress, the Ho-Chunk Nation took control of the 1500 acre parcel in 2015. This is regarded as the first time that the United States' military has ever returned land to an indigenous people.[51] Today, the Ho-Chunk Nation is restoring the prairie that was present at the site before European settlement.[52]
The tribe has a reservation in northeastern Nebraska[54] and western Iowa. TheWinnebago Indian Reservation lies primarily in the northern part ofThurston and a small part ofDixon counties in Nebraska, with an additional portion inWoodbury County, Iowa. A small plot of off-reservation land of 116.75 acres (0.4725 km2) is in southern Craig Township inBurt County, Nebraska. The total land area is 457.857 km2 (176.78 sq mi).
They refer to themselves asHoocąk nįšoc haci meaning "sacred voice people living on the Missouri River".
The Iowa portion was originally west of theMissouri River and within Nebraska boundaries. After theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers changed the course of the river, some of the reservation land was redefined as falling within the boundaries of Iowa. The tribe successfully argued that the land belonged to them under the terms of the deed prior to diversion of the river. This land has a postal address ofSloan, Iowa, as rural addresses are normally covered by the nearest post office.
The2000 census reported a population of 2,588 people living on these lands. The largest community is the village ofWinnebago, with others inEmerson andThurston, Nebraska. In 2006 their enrolled population was estimated at 4,000.[43]
The federally recognizedOmaha also have a reservation in Thurston County. Together, the Native American tribes occupy the entire land area of Thurston County.
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has a written constitution and is governed by an elected nine-person council.
Since 1992 the Winnebago tribe has owned and operated the WinnaVegas Casino on its lands in Iowa. The tribe legalized alcohol sales to keep liquor tax revenue, earmarked for supporting individuals and families affected by alcoholism. More than 60% of federally recognized tribes in the lower 48 states have legalized alcohol sales.[55]
In 1994 the tribe established Ho-Chunk, Inc., an economic development corporation that now employs 1400 people. Its success has earned the tribe small business organization awards. It has initiated a strong housing construction program in collaboration with federal programs. Its leaders were featured onNative American Entrepreneurs in 2009 onPBS.[56]
According to Gordon Thunder (Wakąja)[who?], the Ho-Chunk have been systematically removed from their homelands, many now occupied by other tribes. The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, which at one time consisted primarily of tribal members spread over 13 counties of Wisconsin, have a historical territorial claim in an area encompassed by a line fromGreen Bay toLong Prairie toSt. Louis toChicago. Some in the federal and state governments have undermined the Ho-Chunk land claims; however, repatriation activities document where many villages once stood.[citation needed]
| Historic and present tribes | |
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| Present languages | |
| Present reservations | |
| Present tribal colleges and universities | |
| Historic figures | |
| Historic events | |
| Historic reservations | |
| Historic communities | |
| Historic sacred places | |
| Other historic places | |
| Precontact peoples | |
| Precontact communities |
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| Other precontact places |
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| Other topics | |
