Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska explained

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (win|Nįįšoc Hoocąk)^[3] is one of two federally recognized tribes of Ho-Chunk, along with the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. Tribe members often refer to themselves as Hochungra – "People of the Parent Speech" in their own language, a member of the Siouan family.

Reservation

The tribe had (by the treaty of 1846) a vast wilderness area in central Minnesota Territory, the Long Prairie Reservation.^[4] The Winnebago Reservation, established by a treaty on 8 March 1865,^[5] is in Thurston and Dixon counties, Nebraska, and Woodbury County, Iowa.^[6] The reservation is 176.55sqmi,^[7] of which 27637acres is tribal trust land.^[8] In 1990, 1,151 tribal members lived on the reservation.^[6]

Government

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is headquartered in Winnebago, Nebraska.^[9] The tribe is governed by a democratically elected general council.

The current administration is as follows:

• Chairwoman: Victoria Kitcheyan
• Vice-chairman: Isaac Smith
• Treasurer: Rona Stealer
• Secretary: Lorelei DeCora
• Council Member: Eugene DeCora Sr.
• Council Member: Kenny Mallory
• Council Member: Coly Brown
• Council Member: Aric Armell^[10]

The Winnebago Tribe runs multiple programs aimed at providing services to the tribe and local community including multiple educational programs aimed at assisting low-income tribe members, a tribal housing program, and the Winnebago Veteran's Association.^[11] Additionally, the Winnebago Tribe runs the Winnebago Fire Crew which serves the Winnebago and other local tribes^[12]

Language

The Winnebago Tribe speaks English and Ho-Chunk (Hocąk), one of the Western Siouan languages, part of the Siouan-Catawban language family.^[1]

Economic development

Ho-Chunk, Inc. is the tribe's corporation; it provides construction services, professional services, and business and consumer products.^[13] The Winnebago Tribe also owns and operates the WinnaVegas Casino Resort, hotel, and Flowers Island Restaurant and Buffet, all located in Sloan, Iowa.^[14] Ho-Chunk, Inc. has been recognized several times for exercising good governance and creatively solving issues faced in the tribe. Administered by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, it's been awarded an Honoring Nations award in 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2015.^[15]

Juvenile Services

The tribe worked with the Nebraska Crime Commission to create a comprehensive plan for responding to juvenile safety and crime prevention issues. The most recent revision of the "Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Comprehensive Juvenile Services Plan" lists three primary areas of need:

1. Responsibility and awareness for youth distributed across the whole community.
2. A higher level of community organization.
3. A better coordinated and more comprehensive juvenile justice system.^[16]

In 2012, the Winnebago Juvenile Justice Planning Team (WJJPT) was formed to assist with youth outreach and public safety. The WJJPT has planned and carried out a variety of public safety initiatives such as school outreach programs and planning a Crisis Intervention Center.

Notable tribal members

• Joba Chamberlain (b. 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher from 2007 to 2016
• Henry Roe Cloud (1884–1950), educator, college administrator, US federal government official, Presbyterian minister; first full-blood Native American to attend Yale College
• Angel De Cora (1871–1919), artist, educator, and Indian rights activist
• Terri Crawford Hansen (b. 1953), journalist
• Frank LaMere (1950–2019), activist, advocate, politician
  • Lexie Wakan LaMere (16 May 1992 – 3 January 2014), first native to graduate from Senate Page school; youngest delegate in the Nebraska Democratic Party
• Renya K. Ramirez (b. 1959), anthropologist, author, and Native feminist^[17]
• John Raymond Rice (1914–1950), U.S. Army in service of UN Forces in Korean War
• Reuben Snake (1937–1993), chairman of the American Indian Movement and the tribe, and later president of the National Congress of American Indians
• Lillian St. Cyr, known as Red Wing (1884–1974), an actress of the silent film era

See also

• Ho-Chunk religion
• Little Priest Tribal College

References

• Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

External links

• Official Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska website
• Ho-Chunk, Inc., economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
• Constitution of the Winnebago Tribe, Winnebago Reservation, in the State of Nebraska

Notes and References

1. http://www.ethnologue.com/language/win/ "Ho-Chunk."
2. Pritzker 475
3. Web site: Ho-Chunk Dictionary. dictionary.hochunk.org.
4. Web site: Indian and White in Happy Valley: Long Prairie. . Sandy . John H. . 2023-10-29.
5. Web site: Treaty with the Winnebago, 1865 . Tribal Treaties Database . Oklahoma State University . 19 July 2022.
6. Pritzker, 477
7. Web site: 2020 Gazetteer Files . census.gov . U.S. Census Bureau . 18 July 2022.
8. http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/RegionalOffices/GreatPlains/WeAre/Agencies/Winnebago/index.htm "Winnebago Agency."
9. http://www.ncai.org/tribal-directory?letter=W "Tribal Directory."
10. https://winnebagotribe.com/tribal-council/ Retrieved 7 December 2023
11. Web site: Winnebago Veteran's Association .
12. Web site: Winnebago Agency | Indian Affairs .
13. http://hochunkinc.com/ "Ho-Chunk, Inc."
14. http://500nations.com/casinos/iaWinnavegas.asp "Winna Vegas Casino."
15. Web site: August 2019 . Winnebago Community Celebrates Ho-Chunk, Inc.'s 25th Anniversary . All Native Group.
16. https://ncc.nebraska.gov/sites/ncc.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Winnebago-Tribe-Comm-Plan.pdf Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Comprehensive Juvenile Services Plan
17. Web site: Grad. Rachel. 21 March 2018. Professor Digs into Family History To Tell Story of Native American Activism. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811000323/https://anthro.ucsc.edu/news/news-articles/ramirez_standing_up.html. 2020-08-11. 2020-08-30. UC Santa Cruz Anthropology Chronicle.