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the abundance of river valleys, the Meskwaki numerous attendees at the annual pow wow
named the Iowa River Ne ko to si ye, or celebrations.
“Single Backbone River.”
While most tribes have been proclaimed
After the Black Hawk War of 1832 and years assimilated; researchers, scholars, and
of federal government relocations and land government officials frequently and
cessions, the Meskwaki resisted attempts consistently identify the Meskwaki as the
to remove them from Iowa to live under most culturally conservative Indian tribe in
the control of the government in Kansas or the United States. To scholars and linguists, it
Oklahoma. Unlike other tribes, the Meskwaki has been intriguing to study an Indian society
bought their own land in rural Iowa, with an that is still very like their pre-contact culture.
initial purchase of 80 acres. The Meskwaki Changed as they are in many ways, outwardly
Settlement, located in Tama County for over and inwardly, the Meskwaki are religiously and
150 years, now comprises nearly 8,000 culturally closer to their roots than most tribes.
acres of communally owned land, with 1,343 Time and time again, the Meskwaki have
individuals listed as members. Also known as defied near-total annihilation yet managed to of the last village sites, on the west side of the
“The Red Earth People,” the tribe maintains keep tribal self-identity intact through sheer river near the present-day pow wow grounds,
many traditional ways, and proudly shares determination, quiet faith, adroit improvisation was also the site of the Meskwaki’s last battle
its cultural heritage with neighbors and the and war strategy. Larger tribes have with the Sioux. Traditionally, housing was
completely vanished, more well-known tribes arranged around a central plaza, with clans
have forsaken their ancient ways to exist in and families living together in bark-covered
name only, but the Meskwaki have continually lodge houses or smaller wickiups—made of a
sought ways to maintain their culture and framework of saplings covered by cattail mats.
religion. The most obvious way to preserve After a smallpox epidemic in 1902, the federal
their identity was to buy land as a haven to government destroyed tribal belongings and
practice tribal religion and remain culturally dispersed the housing in a scattered fashion
distinctive. Beginning in 1857 and continuing along the hillsides, similar to the housing
to the present, the tribe has purchased land in arrangement seen today.
an effort to remain Meskwaki.
For decades, the Meskwaki faced financial
By 1900, the Settlement along the Iowa River difficulty, with virtually no tribal assets and no
had grown to almost 3,000 acres, with about infrastructure to support life on the Settlement.
360 people in 65 households. Although the A governmental apparatus, in the form of a
Meskwaki clans scattered to winter camps Tribal Council, was created when the Sac &
along meandering streams or near springs, Fox Constitution and By-Laws were adopted
the tribe’s summer village and housing were on November 13, 1937. Meskwaki working
originally built on Iowa River bottomland. One for the Civilian Conservation Corps planted
