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Osakiwuk – The Sauk by the French in this region. Around 1650, the tried to cooperate and negotiate, tensions
French allied with the Chippewa, Ottawa, and between the government, settlers, and native
The Sauk refer to themselves as the Osakiwuk or Neutrals and the combined forces set out to people were never far beneath the surface and
“People of the Outlet.” They trace their migra- destroy competing groups. sometimes broke out into open hostility.
tions from as far east as the St. Lawrence River.
After centuries of migration they were residing The Sauk and their Meskwaki allies were forced In 1836 a treaty was signed which moved the
near Saginaw Bay in Michigan when the French westward and took up residence in Wisconsin Sauk and Meskwaki farther west, with many
where the Sauk eventually settled near Green bands establishing villages along the Lower Des
arrived in 1634. Historic re- Bay (Buffalo 2013). Their villages were repeat- Moines River. The Indian Agent in charge, Gen-
cords show that they were edly attacked. After the French laid waste to eral Joseph M. Street, chose the location for the
participants in the bur- the Meskwaki villages between 1712 and 1730, new agency in what is now Wapello County. The
geoning European the Sauk took in Meskwaki refugees and the two location is still now the town of Agency (Peter-
fur trade which groups moved into Iowa and Illinois. Although son and Artz 2006:37).
came to be they often lived together, the two groups main-
dominated tained separate identities and traditions. In 1842 the Sauk and Meskwaki signed a new
treaty ceding their land in Iowa, Illinois, and
Keokuk and son, colored lithograph by Charles Bird King. During the 18th century, the Sauk established Missouri. The final exodus came in 1845 as they
their primary territory south of the Meskwaki were moved to a reservation on the Marias des
on the east side of the Mississippi in Illinois. They Cygnes River in Kansas. In 1869 some bands
had villages at Rock Island and near the Des moved again to a reservation in Oklahoma.
Moines Rapids on the Mississippi. Their main Today they live in two groups, one in Kansas and
village, Saukenauk, was at the mouth of the Rock the other in Oklahoma (Bufflao 2013; Foster
River and the tribal burial ground was on Rock 2009:23).
Island (Peterson and Artz 2006:33, 35). It was
reported that, during the summer over 3,000 BLACK HAWK AND KEOKUK – HOW TO
Sauk lived at this village. The Sauk occupied DEAL WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
Saukenauk village until 1831, when American
settlers seized the land and the Illinois militia According to Sauk traditions, Kiyo’kaga or
burned the village. Keokuk was not a hereditary chief. He did,
however, possess great intelligence, oratorical
In 1833 the American government opened the skill, and ambition. He advocated for coopera-
territory west of the Mississippi River to settle- tion with the U.S. Government and through his
ment. After this time the Sauk, Meskwaki, Ioway, powers of persuasion, convinced many Sauk
and other nations were subjected to numerous to cooperate with the government. Because
treaties and were shuffled about Iowa as federal of his policy of compliance and cooperation he
“Indian Policy” evolved. Although many groups was a favorite with government officials, was
The University of Iowa Off ice of the State Archaeologist 25
