[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E925-E926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN CELEBRATION OF HO-CHUNK NATION'S 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SOVEREIGNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 20, 2013

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to celebrate the 50th 
anniversary of Ho-Chunk Nation's sovereignty. The people of the Ho-
Chunk Nation trace their origins to a time before the arrival of 
Columbus to lands throughout Wisconsin and surrounding states. In these 
lands, the Ho-Chunk people provided for themselves through hunting, 
gathering, and farming. Their rich cultural heritage is defined by a 
reverence for the land along with a pride and strength that has 
persevered through tremendous hardships.
   In 1634, the French explorer Jean Nicolet became the first European 
to make contact with the Ho-Chunk people. Welcoming Nicolet, the Ho-
Chunk began trade with the French who referred to them as the 
Winnebago, a name that became their official title in the United States 
until 1993. Though the United States government initially recognized 
the Ho-Chunk as a sovereign nation holding title to several million 
acres of farmland, this position was reversed in the midst of westward 
expansion in the early 19th century. As lead miners began taking over 
the choice land of southern Wisconsin, the Ho-Chunk were forced to sell 
their remaining territory for a fraction of its worth.
   Beginning in 1836, the Ho-Chunk were subjected to a series of forced 
relocations pushing them westward onto small desolate plots of land. In 
spite of the continuing, often violent, efforts by authorities to expel 
the Ho-Chunk from their native land, many continued to return to 
Wisconsin. Through persistence and perseverance, the Wisconsin Ho-Chunk 
prevailed and was eventually given 40 acre homestead plots to farm.
   In 1962, the first Wisconsin Winnebago Tribal Constitution was 
drafted and redrafted. On March 19, 1963, the Constitution and Bylaws 
of the Wisconsin Winnebago Tribe was approved by the Assistant 
Secretary of the Interior marking the beginning of the sovereign

[[Page E926]]

government known today as the Ho-Chunk Nation.
   Known as ``People of the Big Voice,'' or ``People of the Sacred 
Language,'' the Ho-Chunk Nation are a people rich with culture and a 
resolute spirit. It is with great pride that I rise today to recognize 
them for 50 years of self-governance and thank them for their 
contributions to communities in Wisconsin and beyond.

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