History, social life, and customs of Wisconsin Indian tribes.

I must begin with an explanation of my reasons for reading this book. I am not an Indian and my exposure to them has come mostly in Western movies. As a frequent visitor to Wisconsin I am familiar with the Oneida Nation Gate at Lambeau Field and references to their casino on television had kindled a curiosity to know more about the people behind the gate. “The Indian Nations of Wisconsin” reveals the stories and the faces about which I had been curious.

Author Patty Loew presents factual histories of the nations that have lived in Wisconsin far longer than the whites or blacks. She begins with the early history, the people known only by the mounds, effigies, rock art and utensils they left behind. She continues with the first encounters with European explorers and traders during the seventeenth century that created a Middle Ground in which both became dependent on the other and were no longer totally Indian or totally European. She then moves into chapters on the individual nations: Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oneida, Stockbridge-Musnee Community (Mohican) and Brothertown. She cannot stop the story there. Indians, like other races, live in the present, not the past. Like many other rural dwellers, many Wisconsin Indians have moved into cities, bringing with them their culture and their unique problems.

Although each nation has its own story, they all share common threads. Every nation played its role in the War of 1812 and took sides in the Black Hawk War. Their warriors enlisted in America’s conflicts thereafter, even when they were not citizens. All entered into treaties with the United States and saw promises broken, trust betrayed and their people removed to new reservations. Each had to deal with changing national policies including homesteading, allotment, the policy that transferred land from the tribe to the individuals who could then sell to non-Indians, and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 that changed policy from assimilation to a recognition that Native culture could be a source of strength and opportunity. From this low point the nations reassembled their reservations and seized the opportunity to operate casinos that enable them to expand into other enterprises that have assisted their people and have become integral parts of the Wisconsin economy. Lowe narrates examples of Indian concern for the environment and hope for the future is shaping the Twenty-first Century for both Indians and other Wisconsin residents.

There are several things I like about this book. First is the history contained on its pages. It is the history of the encounter, and on occasion the clash, of cultures. Regardless of your ethnic background it is a history that should be of interest. Second are the pictures that without being overwhelming, put faces to the stories. Most important, I like the way it is written. Prof. Lowe tells the stories from an Indian perspective, but in an even handed and fair-minded fashion. The reader feels like he is being informed, but never preached to, introduced but never berated. For anyone who wants to read of a little known sliver of Wisconsin history or has ever asked “Who sponsored that gate anyway?” “Indian Nations of Wisconsin” is a great place to start.

I did receive a free copy of this book for review. ( )