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Article: Winnebago/Ho-Chunk
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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WINNEBAGO/HO-CHUNK
WINNEBAGO/HO-CHUNK.
The American Indian tribe Winnebago called themselves Ho-chunk-gra (Ho-Chunk), "People with the Big Voice." In prehistoric times, they were the only Siouan-speaking tribe in the Great Lakes area, and their name Winnebago, "People of the Filthy Water," is Algonquian, given to them by nearby tribes, the Sac and Fox.
Previous to contact with Europeans, the Winnebago lived in present-day Wisconsin in villages of bark lodges. They farmed, growing corn, beans, squash, and tobacco; they also hunted small game in forests and along streams, living in lean-tos and tents on hunting trips.
Their social and governmental organization was rigid, with two groups, ...