Indigenous Wisconsin
Celebrate Indigenous History and the 12 First Nations of Wisconsin
In recognition of National Native American Heritage Month, explore and learn about the history, culture, and contemporary status of the 12 First Nations and Indigenous people who call Wisconsin home.
Browse featured resources from the Wisconsin Historical Society and our partners, including high quality educational material for teachers, as well as books written by and about Native people from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Wisconsin Powwows
Summer 2022
Powwows are tribal or community-based events that celebrate Native heritage through traditional singing and dancing.
The powwows listed on this page are open to the public. We encourage anyone who would like to learn more about Wisconsin Native people to attend and enjoy these public events.
Please remember to be respectful to the local communities, their laws, and customs.
Learn More
Ojibwe Storytelling Series
Winter is storytelling season
Free Virtual Storytelling
In Ojibwe culture, winter is storytelling season. The Wisconsin Historical Society is celebrating by featuring Ojibwe storytellers in a four-part virtual series launched in early 2022.
Michael Laughing Fox Charette, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Edith Leoso, Bad River Tribal member
Biskakone Greg Johnson, Lac du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Leon C. Valliere, also known as Ozaawaagosh, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Wisconsin Historical Society Resources
Book by
Louis V. Clark 'Two Shoes'
(Oneida)
Book by
- Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk)
- Michael Schmudlach
- Matthew Daniel Mason
- Amy Lonetree (Ho-Chunk)
- George A. Greendeer (Ho-Chunk)
Ojibwe Coloring Book Series by
Cassie Brown
(Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe)
Book by
Raymond Kaquatosh
(Menominee)
Book by
Thomas Pecore Weso
(Menominee)
Book by
Patty Loew
(Bad River Ojibwe)
Book by
JP Leary
(Cherokee & Delaware)
Book by
Karyn Saemann
Book by
Diane Holliday
Book by
Nancy Oestreich Lurie
Book by
Mike Hoeft
Book by
Robert A. Birmingham
Book by
Geri Schrab & Robert Boszhardt
Resources for Teachers & Administrators
Fact Sheet for American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (via WI DPI)
State Statutes for American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (via WI DPI)
Markers, Monuments, and Meaning - Wisconsin's Built Environment
Learn about the role of monumental art in Wisconsin and investigate the current controversy over historical monuments and markers with panelists Aaron Bird Bear (Mandan, Hidatsa, Dine) and Kacie Lucchini Butcher.
Moderated by Christian Øverland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Dr. Robert Smith, professor of history and director of Marquette University’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching, and Outreach.
September 30, 2020
Covid-19 Poster Project
Assisting the Elderly
By Greg 'Biskakone' Johnson (Lac du Flambeau)
"My father was a WWII veteran, so I grew up flipping through his WWII books. When I was approached to design this poster, I had tons of ideas thanks to my fathers collections! I really enjoyed creating this poster for the Covid-19 pandemic awareness movement. Like in the past we are once again reminded to stick together to defeat and overcome an enemy. We are all in this together! Take care of one another."
Greg 'Biskakone' Johnson
Belonging to the Lynx Clan, Greg is an enrolled member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. His home on the Lac du Flambeau reservation established by the Treaty of 1854 is also known as Waaswaaganing, "the place of the torch."
Greg lives his life according to the four seasons, as did his ancestors. He harvests deer, fish, maple sugar, berries, wild rice, and wild plants. He enjoys trapping and snaring as well as hunting with a gun. Greg is passionate about keeping the traditional ways alive, and he takes every opportunity to teach these ways to others. Whether he is taking a group of students spearing for the first time or showing community members how to make buckskin moccasins, he shares his knowledge in the hope of keeping a vibrant traditional way of life relevant today. Greg’s favorite students are his children, Wasanodae, Koen, Blaise and newborn son, Asiginaak Imants. Greg taught his daughter how to skin a deer when she was four and his son to make moccasins at age five. Together, the kids tracked their first deer before they turned six.
Highlighted Resources from our Partners
Walter Bresette
Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe)
Walter led rallies in the 1980s and 1990s to educate others on how the rights the Ojibwe retained in 1800s treaties with the United States still hold true today.
From the Wisconsin Biographies series
Chief Oshkosh
Menominee
Chief Oshkosh faced difficult choices as he led his people through trying times. He spoke out for the health of his people and the conservation of their forest.
From the Wisconsin Biographies seriesNative Nations of Wisconsin
Forest County Potawatomi
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
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Tribal Centers & Cultural Museums
Cultural Center, Library, & MuseumForest County Potawatomi
Ho-Chunk Nation Museum and Cultural CenterHo-Chunk Nation
George W. Brown Jr. Ojibwe Museum & Cultural CenterLac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Menominee Cultural MuseumMenominee Nation
Oneida Nation MuseumOneida Nation
Support the Preservation of Wisconsin's History
Explore Wisconsin's History
You can find out more about our history in these pages focusing on other monthly celebrations!
