A History in Indigenous Voices: Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Oneida, Stockbridge, and Brothertown Interactions in the Removal Era

Summary

Treaties made in the 1800s between the United States and the Indigenous nations of what is now Wisconsin had profound influence on the regions cultural and political landscape. Yet few people realize that in the early part of the century, the Menominee and Ho-Chunk Nations of Wisconsin signed land treaties with several Indigenous nations from New York State.

In this groundbreaking book, Carol Cornelius has compiled a careful account of these nation-to-nation treaties, in large part in the words of the Indigenous leaders who served as the voices and representatives of their nations. Drawing on a rich collection of primary sources, Cornelius walks readers through how, why, and for whom these treaties were made and how the federal governments failure and unwillingness to acknowledge their legitimacy led to the further loss of Indigenous lands. The living documents transcribed here testify to the complexity and sovereignty of Indigenous governance then and now, making this volume a vital resource for historians and an accessible introduction to Indigenous treatymaking in Wisconsin. 

Author

Dr. Carol A. Cornelius, Oneida/Stockbridge Munsee and Montauk, Turtle Clan, earned her PhD in cross-cultural curriculum and American Indian history from Cornell University. She has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she helped build the First Nations Studies undergraduate program, and the College of the Menominee Nation. She is a former area manager for the Oneida Cultural Heritage Department and the author of Iroquois Corn in a Culture-Based Curriculum: A Framework for Respectfully Teaching about Cultures.

Awards

• Winner of the 2024 Wisconsin Historical Society’s Book of Merit Award
• Finalist for the 2023 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Adult Nonfiction History