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Historical Essay

Native American Twilled Basket

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Cherokee twilled basket, probably traded to Wisconsin, mid 19th century. (Museum object #1955.1021)
Historical Essay

Ho-Chunk Hide Scraper

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Wooden handled hide scraper with steel blade made and used by Ho-Chunk Indians in Wisconsin in the early 20th century. (Museum object #1951.949)
Historical Essay

Ho-Chunk Eagle Feather Dance Staff

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Eagle feather dance staff used at 1933 World's Fair by Ho-Chunk dancers from the Wisconsin Dells. (Museum object #2001.49.1)
Historical Essay

Ho-Chunk Beaded Reebok Baby Shoes

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Reebok baby shoes beaded by Ho-Chunk artist Linda Lucero, c. 1990. (Museum object #1993.102A-B)
Historical Essay

Was Nicolet Really the First European in Wisconsin?

An Unreliable Text and Other Evidence
Wisconsin History books teach that Jean Nicolet was the first white person to reach the state, but he may have been the second.
Historical Essay

The Surrender and Captivity of Ho-Chunk Warrior Red Bird

A Warrior Prepared to Die is Disappointed
Discover the story of a Ho-Chunk warrior who surrenders and is grieved at receiving a fair trial.
Historical Essay

Chief Dandy and the White Settlers

Some Interesting Stories of the Winnebago Chief
Read about Ho-Chunk Chief Dandy's interesting and friendly interactions with white settlers in Wisconsin, even while he was a fugitive.
Historical Essay

The Trial of Chief Oshkosh

The Clash of U.S Law and Indian Legal Tradition
Learn how the trial of Menominee Chief Oshkosh, one of the most famous in Wisconsin history, pitted Indian traditional justice against white man's law.
Historical Essay

The Iroquois Wars

New Tribes Brought to Wisconsin by French Commerce
Learn how contact with Europeans, the fur trade and warfare among their tribes drove many Indians to the Wisconsin territory in the 17th century.
Historical Essay

Colonialism and Indian Life in Wisconsin

How Native Life was Transformed
Discover how white contact disrupted and transformed Indian life in Wisconsin in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Historical Essay

Early U.S. Settlement

Military Outposts in Wisconsin
Read how American forts were established and settlement increased in Wisconsin after the War of 1812.
Historical Essay

Treaty Councils, from Prairie du Chien to Madeline Island

How the Natives Lost Their Land
Learn about the many treaties between the United States government and native tribes.
Historical Essay

Winnebago Indians (Historic Marker Erected 1973)

A Brief Introduction
Read about the term Winnebago Indians, and follow links to the Ho-Chunk and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska to learn more about the communities.

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