Who Are the Meskwaki?
The Meskwaki (meaning "Red Earth People," historically called Fox by Europeans after one of their clans) are an Algonquian-speaking people originally inhabiting the Great Lakes region, particularly Wisconsin. Today numbering approximately 7,000-8,000, they are primarily located at the Meskwaki Settlement in Iowa—unique as land purchased by the tribe rather than a federal reservation—and in Oklahoma as part of the Sac and Fox Nation. The Meskwaki speak Meskwaki, an Algonquian language closely related to Sauk. Their history includes fierce resistance to French colonization, resulting in the devastating Fox Wars, followed by alliance with the Sauk that has continued to the present.
Fox Wars and Alliance
French colonizers named the Meskwaki "Renards" (Fox), based on one of their clans. The Meskwaki's control of the Fox-Wisconsin waterway—a crucial portage route connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi—brought conflict with France, which sought to dominate western trade. The Fox Wars (1712-1733) nearly destroyed the Meskwaki through French campaigns and attacks by French-allied tribes. Reduced to perhaps 500 survivors, the Meskwaki allied with the Sauk (Sac) people for protection and survival. This alliance proved permanent; the two peoples, while maintaining distinct identities, have been closely associated ever since, often called "Sac and Fox" together. Their combined strength allowed recovery and resistance to later American expansion.
The Black Hawk War
Following removal treaties in the early 19th century, the Sauk war leader Black Hawk led a band of Sauk, Meskwaki, and allies back across the Mississippi into Illinois in 1832, seeking to reclaim ceded lands. The resulting Black Hawk War ended in the Bad Axe Massacre, where fleeing families were slaughtered. Though Black Hawk himself was Sauk, the Meskwaki participated in his movement. After removal to Kansas, some Meskwaki returned to Iowa in 1857, purchasing land with their own funds—a unique arrangement that gave them independence from federal reservation systems. This purchased land became the Meskwaki Settlement, which the tribe has expanded over time.
Contemporary Meskwaki
Modern Meskwaki maintain strong cultural identity. The Meskwaki Settlement in Iowa operates tribally, outside the usual reservation framework. The tribe operates the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, providing economic independence. Traditional governance, ceremonies, and clan systems continue. The Meskwaki language, while endangered, has dedicated speakers and language programs. The annual Meskwaki Powwow draws visitors and maintains cultural traditions. In Oklahoma, the Sac and Fox Nation (including Meskwaki descendants) maintains separate federal recognition. The Meskwaki demonstrate how indigenous peoples can maintain sovereignty through creative strategies—in their case, purchasing their own land when removal was forced upon them, ensuring a permanent homeland of their own choosing.
References
- Edmunds, R. D. & Peyser, J. L. (1993). The Fox Wars: The Mesquakie Challenge to New France
- Callender, C. (1978). Fox in Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 15
- Foley, W. E. (2009). Wilderness Journey: The Life of William Clark