Society and culture
The Winnebago lived in permanent villages along Lake Michigan and the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. Their houses were dome-shaped wigwams made from wood and bark. Nearby, they cleared fields in which they grew corn (maize), squash and beans. Men hunted small animals in the forest. From time to time, hunters traveled to the prairies to the southwest to kill buffalo (bison).
The Winnebago used birch bark to make canoes. They were friendly with most neighboring tribes and used these boats for trading voyages. For example, buffalo robes were offered in exchange for the wild rice that grew in the north.
The Winnebago divided themselves into two groups: Air people and Earth people. Tribe members were forbidden from marrying anyone in their own group. The tribe was further divided into 12 clans; each person belonged to the clan of their father. Most of the clans were named after animals, such as the bear, eagle, snake, and deer.
The Winnebago held the Medicine Dance each summer. It was performed by members of a secret religious society open to both men and women. A winter ceremony was intended to increase war and hunting powers. In spring, a dance called forth the buffalo herd.
History
The Winnebago first encountered non-Indians when French explorer Jean Nicolet came to their homeland in 1634. The Winnebago welcomed French trading partners and the European goods they brought, such as metal pots and guns. Unfortunately, the French also introduced the Winnebago to such new diseases as smallpox. Over several decades, thousands of Winnebago died in smallpox epidemics.
As friends of the French, the Winnebago were drawn into the French and Indian War (1754–63), during which the French and their Indian allies battled the English. After the defeated French left North America, the Winnebago allied themselves with the English. They aided English soldiers in fighting American troops during the American Revolution (1775–81).
Following the war, the U.S. government began pressuring the Winnebago to give up their territory. In the early 1830s, some tribe members decided to fight back. They were inspired by White Cloud, a religious leader also known as the Winnebago Prophet. His followers joined their Sauk and Fox Indian allies in battling Americans in Black Hawk's War (1832).
The Americans won the war and took the opportunity to seize Winnebago territory. In a series of treaties, the Winnebago were forced to give up all their land east of the Mississippi. They were moved first to Iowa, then to Minnesota, and then to South Dakota. During these migrations, hundreds of tribe members died.
In 1865, about 1,200 Winnebago finally settled on a reservation in Nebraska near their old allies, the Omaha. In the 1880s, some returned to Wisconsin. They were later granted a second reservation there.
By the end of the 20th century, there were about 7,000 Winnebago in the United States. Most still live in Nebraska and Wisconsin. In 1994, the Nebraska Winnebago formed the Ho-Chunk Corporation, which has operated several successful businesses.