Although two are distinct tribes, the Sauk (named federally as “Sac”) “People of the Yellow Earth” and Meskwaki (named federally as “Fox”) “Red Earth People” are closely related and share much of their history. Their strategic allyship against the French in the 1700s caused settlers to frequently associate the two, eventually leading the United States government to legally unify them as a single entity. Descending from Eastern Woodland culture, these groups maintained wide presence across the Midwest, living in small villages. The Sauk and Meskwaki originally lived in present-day Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin before later moving to Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Both groups lived and traveled widely across central and western Illinois with the village of Saukenuk becoming one of the largest Indigenous settlements in North America during the 1700s. In 1804, these lands in Illinois were ceded from the Sauk to the US government without full consensus from tribal leaders. Objections to the validity of this agreement arose throughout the community and, in 1832, Sauk and Meskwaki resistance to this loss of land was met with mass violence from the US government- a conflict known as the Black Hawk War. In its aftermath, the Sauk and Meskwaki were unified by the US government and forcefully removed from their homes through a series of treaties. Many were removed from their traditional lands to Kansas and Oklahoma while others returned or resisted. Out of this process, three distinct Tribal Nations of Sac and Fox were formed with each maintaining sovereignty today:

Sa ki wa ki (Sac and Fox Nation): A few decades after their forced removal to Kansas, this group sold these lands and moved to Oklahoma. Today the Sac and Fox Nation works to maintain sovereignty over land and resources. They are the hosts of the Sac and Fox Nation Archives which preserves historical and cultural records of Sac and Fox communities across the country. In addition, the nation’s Language Department takes on language revitalization efforts through educational resources.

Ne ma ha ha ki (Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska): Through the series of treaties and land concessions, the Sac and Fox were removed to Missouri from Iowa and Illinois. The Missouri Band was later removed again to Kansas, then becoming its own distinct nation. Today the tribe preserves its history in its own museum while also placing efforts towards community health, education, and natural resource initiatives.

Meskwaki (Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa): Despite mass forced removal from Iowa, some members of the Sac and Fox remained in Iowa or returned later. From 1857 onward, the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa has purchased back much of their homeland and today places efforts on community infrastructure and preserving sovereignty, including through programs like the Meskwaki Food Sovereignty Initiative and the Natural Resources and Buffalo Wildlife Project.

Learn more about the Sauk and Meskwaki from each Tribal Nation’s website linked below!

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Sources:

Meskwaki Nation - History

Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska - History

Sac and Fox Nation - Government

Gaylord University College of Journalism - Sac and Fox Nation

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Land Acknowledgement