The Wisconsin Union occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary land of the Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) Nation, who have referred to this place as Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.
After the War of 1812, the United States removed Hoocąk people and resettled the area. The 1825 Treaty of Peace recognized the Hoocąk Nation and its sovereignty over 10.5 million acres across now southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The treaty also promised that these lands would not be entered without the Nation’s permission.
The Black Hawk War of 1832 led to the 1832 and 1837 treaties, ceding title to 6.8 million acres, and all their territory to the U.S. government, including land upon which the Wisconsin Union and UW-Madison are built. People of the Hoocąk Nation were forcibly and violently removed to Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma. Many refused to leave. Of those who left, many returned to their homes in what has become Wisconsin.
In recognizing this history, we honor the enduring legacy of the Hoocąk Nation’s resistance and resilience. It is essential to understand and acknowledge the impact of the colonization of this land.
We recognize, honor and respect the Hoocąk Nation, the other eleven Native Nations whose territories are within Wisconsin, and the more than 50,000 tribal members, who call Wisconsin home. They are the traditional stewards of the lands and water on which the Wisconsin Union is now present. Learn more at reckoning.wisc.edu/the-early-years.
