The Ho-Chunk: A History of Removal and Endurance

For more than a half-century, the Ho-Chunk endured the U.S. government’s policies of removal and ethnic cleansing. Since then many Ho-Chunk have returned to their ancestral homelands and today they are one of Wisconsin’s largest employers.
Colin Mustful is a Minnesota author and historian with a unique story-telling style that tells History Through Fiction. His work focuses on Minnesota and surrounding regions during the complex transitional period as land was transferred from Native peoples to American hands. Mustful strives to create compelling stories about the real-life people and events of a tumultuous and misunderstood past. You can learn more about Colin and his work at www.colinmustf...
Check out these other resources by historian/author Colin Mustful.
Novels
Fate of the Dakota: A Novel and Resource on the U.S.- Dakota War of 1862 - www.amazon.com...
Grace at Spirit Lake - www.amazon.com...
Ceding Contempt: Minnesota’s Most Significant Historical Event - www.amazon.com...
Resisting Removal: The Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850 - www.amazon.com...
Online Textbook
Confronting Minnesota’s Past: A Resource to Test Your Understanding on the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 - www.amazon.com...
Online Educational Course
The U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 - www.udemy.com/...
Twitter - / colinmustful
Facebook - / colinmustful
Amazon - www.amazon.com...
Goodreads - / 7367036.colin_mustful
Image Sources
Wa-kaun, or the Snake, a Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Chief. Collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 4795
Map of Wisconsin Territory, 1837, Collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 92210
Big Foot’s Village and Lake, Collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 109891
Winnebago Wigwam, Collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 10001
Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers map from GISGeography, gisgeography.c...
Painting of the the burning of Washington D.C. from Smithsonian Magazine, www.smithsonia...
Map of the boundaries from the Treaty of Prairie du Chien from Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikime...
Red Bird and Wekau from Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikime...
Image of land ceded in 1829 from Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikime...
Image of the Battle of Bad Axe from History Central, www.historycen...
Map of Ho-Chunk land cession treaties from Cole Sutton’s Portfolio, colesutton11.w...
Map of Iowa Neutral Ground from Fayette and Westfield Iowa History Timeline, www.angelfire....
Map of Ho-Chunk Relocations from Cole Sutton’s Portfolio, colesutton11.w...
Winnebago Indian and Basswood Wigwam, MNHS Collections, collections.mnh...
Map of Proposed and Actual Winnebago Reservations from “The Failed Watab Treaty of 1853” by Edward J. Pluth
Winnebago Indian Agency on the Owatonna Road, near Mankato, from MNHS Collections, collections.mnh...
“Battlefield, New Ulm” by Mike Eischen, from Brown County Historical Society, www.nujournal....
Captured Sioux Indians in fenced enclosure on Minnesota River below Fort Snelling, MNHS Collections, collections.mnh...
Screenshot of Winnebago Removal Act from Minnesota Legal History Project, www.minnesotale...
Crow Creek Reservation, 1880s. Courtesy State Archives of the South Dakota Historical Society, www.usdakotawa...
Map of Ho-Chunk Nation from Wisconsin First Nations, wisconsinfirst...

[@jeremyetchison948]

Thank you for uploading this. I found out recently that my Great Grandmother was a Squaw in the Winnebago Tribe. (my grandfather was born out of wedlock, and therefore was given up for adoption, around 1940) Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information on youtube about the tribe, and this was very informative. I was born in Sioux City, IA, reasonably close to the Reservation in Nebraska, which makes sense as that is where my Grandma, and Grandpa were married and raised their family as well. (South Sioux city, on my mom's side) To my understanding and what my Grandpa had told me before he passed many years ago, I am 1/8 Winnebago. Hard to fathom that I am likely a descendant of the 150 or so that survived the outbreaks in the 1620's, and all the other hardships they have overcome to be as big of a population they are today. Again, thank you for this information!

[@jessicastacy2181]

Thank you

[@UnifiedField77]

I'm moving to Black River Falls soon and trying to learn about the area. Thanks

[@ryanhowell6282]

Nice content Colin!- Ryan Howell

[@bongobrandy6297]

All new to me.