In this portion of our web guide, we will focus on the Sac and the Fox tribes, who have been linked since the 18th century.
These are not the names that they would choose for themselves, but all three of the federally recognized tribes use these names, so we will use these as the heading for this category while referring to them as the Sauk and Meskwaki in the body of the text.
The Sac are also known as the Sauk, although they refer to themselves as the oθaakiiwaki, Othâkîwa, Thâkîwa, Thâkîwaki, or Asaki-waki, and the Ottawa people referred to them as the Ozaagii(-wag).
The Fox people are more appropriately known as the Meskawaki, which is sometimes spelled Mesquaki, an Anglicization of their name in their own language, Meshkwahkihaki, which translates to "the Red-Earths," a reference to their creation story.
Contemporary Sac and Fox people are members of one of three federally recognized tribes: the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma, the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.
The Sac and Fox Nation (Othâkîwaki / Thakiwaki or Sa ki wa ki) is the largest. Originally from the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan area, they were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the 1870s and are primarily Sauk.
The Sauk participated in the 1832 Black Hawk War against the United States. After the war, the tribe was relocated several times, from Illinois to Iowa, Kansas, and finally Oklahoma in the 1870s. Their current lands were part of the larger Sac and Fox Reservation of 1867-1891. However, under the Dawes Act of 1887, tribal holdings were divided into 160-acre allotments for individual households, with remaining reservation lands sold to European Americans. The 1898 Curtis Act dismantled the tribal government.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration established the Indian New Deal, which encouraged tribes to reestablish self-government, and the Sac and Fox did so in 1937 and have areas of tribal jurisdiction in Oklahoma while no longer having a reservation.
The Meskwaki are the dominant in the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, so this tribe is sometimes known as the Meskwaki Nation. The main settlement is called Meskwakiinaki, and the tribe's headquarters is in Tama, Iowa.
The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa oversees about seven thousand acres of land, which was purchased by the Meskwaki in the 19th century. Reorganizing as a tribe in 1934 under the Indian Reorganization Act, they established a tribal court system in 2005, and tribal law enforcement in 2006. The tribe publishes the Meskwaki Nation Times, a bi-monthly newspaper for enrolled members. The tribe operates the Meskwaki Trading Post, the Meskwaki Bingo Casino, Prime Cut Steakhouse, Full House Cafe, the Jackpot Buffet, and the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, all outside of Tama.
The Sac and Fox Nation in Kansas and Nebraska, also known as Nemahahaki (Nîmahâhaki), is headquartered in Reserve, Kansas. The tribe's reservation covers about 25 square miles of land in southeastern Richardson County, Nebraska, and northeastern Brown County, Kansas.
The tribe operates the Sac and Fox Casino, the Boat Bar, and the Chop House Steak Restaurant in Powhattan, Kansas, as well as the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri Tribal Museum in Reserve, Kansas.
While distinct tribes, the Sauk and the Meskwaki people have been allied since at least 1735 when they came together to defend against European forces and other Indian tribes, after which they moved together into Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. After the Black Hawk War of 1832, the U.S. government combined the two tribes into a single group known as the Sac & Fox Confederacy for the purpose of treaties.
The Sauk were an Eastern Woodlands group who inhabited the region of what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin, when they were first encountered by the French in 1667. Historically, it is believed that they originated along the St. Lawrence River in what is now northern New York, and were likely driven west by the Iroquois League. However, Ojibwe oral histories place the Sauk in the Saginaw Valley of Michigan sometime before the arrival of Europeans. The name "Saginaw" is derived from the Ojibwe O-Sauk-e-non, meaning "land of the Sauks."
The Meskwaki are Woodland people of Algonquian origin. Traditionally, they spoke a language similar to that of the Sauk and Kickapoo. They were first referred to as the Fox by the French, who mistook a clan name for that of the entire tribe.
The Meskwaki were the dominant tribe in the Fox River system in eastern and central Wisconsin, an area of particular importance to the French engaged in the fur trade, as the Fox River allowed for travel from Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes via Green Bay to the Mississippi River system.
Recommended Resources
The Meskwaki Settlement School is located in the Meskwaki Nation, about four miles west of Tama. It is the property of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the only federally recognized tribe within the state. The school's elementary school and combined middle and high school are featured, along with its special education programs, Meskwaki language team, and photo gallery. Resources for students and parents are set forth, including a staff directory, school calendar, and contacts.
https://msswarriors.org/
Located in Tama, Iowa, the casino and hotel was built in 1992 and features more than 67,000 square feet of casino space, 366 hotel rooms, a lounge featuring live music, and multiple food venues. Operated by the Meskwaki Nation, its casino has more than 1,300 slot machines, 25 live table games, and a 550-seat bingo parlor, while its lobby features Meskwaki artifacts and photographs. Its gaming operations, promotions, hotels, dining facilities, group accommodations, and events are featured.
https://www.meskwaki.com/
Also known as the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the federally recognized American Indian tribe is often known as the Meskwaki Nation because its membership is primarily Meskwaki (Fox). The tribe's website highlights the Meskwaki Nation, its history, constitution, enrollment, tribal council, and staff directory. Its museum, member and community programs and services, health services, and government enterprises, businesses, and operations are set forth.
https://www.meskwaki.org/
Wholly owned by the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the corporation's function is to use the tribe's economic and legal advantages to develop and operate successful tribally owned business enterprises, to provide jobs and economic opportunities for tribal members, and to provide an income stream for the tribe. Its companies are highlighted, and its financial and employment impact is set forth, along with career opportunities, and contacts, including online applications.
https://meskwakiinc.com/
Chartered in 1927, the Marshalltown, Iowa, bank has been wholly owned by the Sac and Fox Tribe of Mississippi in Iowa (Meskwaki Nation) since 2009. Pinnacle is the only tribal bank with active trust powers, and collaborations with other tribes are a focus of the bank. Its location, hours, ATMs, career opportunities, events, and introductions to its tea are provided. Its personal and business services are set forth, along with tribal solutions, contacts, and online member services.
https://www.bankpinnacle.us/
The Sac and Fox Gaming Commission's mission is to enforce the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Compact with the State of Iowa, and the tribe's gaming ordinances and regulations in a fair, ethical, and respectful manner without compromise. Its website includes relevant ordinances, regulations, minimum internal control standards, the Compact, and Compact amendments. Information for licensees and vendors is provided, and contacts for relevant online resources are included.
https://www.meskwakigc.com/
The Sac and Fox Nation is the largest of three federally recognized tribes of Sauk and Meskwaki Indian peoples. The tribe consists of descendants of Sauk and Meskwaki people who were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the 1870s. Headquartered in Stroud, Oklahoma, the tribe is primarily Sauk. Its governmental structure is outlined here, along with tribal member services, departments, healthcare options, such as the Black Hawk Health Center, and information about the Sauk language.
https://www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/
Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska
Headquartered in Reserve, Kansas, the tribe was organized in 1934 under the Indian Reorganization Act and is made up of descendants of the Sauk and Meskwaki people. A brief history of the tribe is documented on the tribe's website, along with vintage photographs. The tribe's gaming commission, police department, tribal court, tribal council, and member programs and services are highlighted, along with events, contacts, career opportunities, and a member login.
https://www.sacandfoxks.com/
Sac and Fox Nation Division for Victims of Crime
The tribal department serves crime victims within the traditional boundaries of the Sac and Fox Nation, which encompasses parts of Pottawatomie, Lincoln, and Payne counties, as well as Sac and Fox tribal members residing outside of its traditional boundaries. Staff contacts, a list of services provided, and an online intake form to be completed by eligible victims of crime. Its address, hours of operation, phone and fax numbers, and an online contact form are included.
https://www.sacandfoxnationvictimservices.org/
The Sauk language comes from the Algonquian language family, which includes the languages of the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Cree, Delaware, Ojibwa, and Shawnee, as well as the Kickapoo and the Mesquakie, which are the closest relatives of the Sauk. Sauk remains the traditional language of the Sac and Fox of Oklahoma, although it is currently spoken by a dwindling number of people, largely elders. Sauk words, phrases, stories, videos, and games are included. A language workbook may be downloaded.
https://talksauk.com/
