The Ho-Chunk are still a living people and still our neighbors! Watch these videos to learn about the tribe, their history and language, and what matters to them as a people.

Film descriptions come from a film series held in Sauk County in 2020.

1.  PBS Wisconsin History Project film: Tribal Histories | Ho-Chunk History Central Film: Tribal Histories | Ho-Chunk History (26:45)

“By the banks of the Lemonweir River in what for ages had been Ho-Chunk territory, Andy Thundercloud shares the oral tradition of his people. Thundercloud tells of a traveling people who migrated across the land to become many different tribes, of the importance of maintaining the traditional language, and of the wonderful way of life he has known.”

2. HoChunk today:  People of the Big Voice – The Ho-Chunk Nation (11:34) 

“In this short film, Ho-Chunk Nation Chief Winneshiek is joined by Jon Greendeer, the Executive Director of Heritage Preservation for the Ho-Chunk Nation. The two share how everything the Nation does—to advance their business and their people—has meaning behind it and is done with great intention.

3. My Once Life – Video Poem (3:29) 

My Once Life is a hybrid video poem by Pamela J. Peters about the continuing impact of colonization on tribal peoples. Native people resist their violent history and contemporary political struggles through engaging with deep historical knowledge and creating new oral histories. The poem is read by 12 Native women living in Los Angeles whose strong voices embody empowerment.

4.  Ho-Chunk language apprenticeships: https://theways.org/story/language-apprentice.html (5 minutes)

WONDERING TOGETHER:

Should St. Dunstan’s have a land acknowledgement? What would it say? How would we use it? How would we make it more than just words?

Next week we’ll start looking at the history of redlining and residential segregation. Link to these sessions here!