These Facts For Kids were written for young people learning about the Ho-chunks for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students, especially older
kids, to visit our main Ho-chunk website
for more in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with
Ho-chunk pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.
How do you pronounce the word "Ho-chunk"? What does it mean?
It's pronounced exactly like it looks, "ho-chunk." Some people use the hyphen, and others don't.
It comes from their own name for themselves, Hocąk, which means "big voice."
Are the Hochunks and the Winnebagos the same tribe?
Yes. Hochunk is the people's own name for themselves. Winnebago is what their Algonquian neighbors called them.
Literally, "Winnebago" means "smelly water." This was not intended as an insult--the Algonquians called them Winnebagos because they lived near
Lake Winnebago. (Lake Winnebago got this name because it had a strong fish odor in the summer.) Some Hochunk people, especially in Nebraska,
call themselves Winnebagos today. Others, especially in Wisconsin, prefer their original tribal name, Hochunk.
Where do the Ho-chunks live?
The Hochunks are original residents of the Great Lakes area, particularly
Wisconsin
and Illinois. Many Hochunk people
still live in Wisconsin today. Others were forced to move westward by the US government, and most
of their descendents live in Nebraska today.
How is the Winnebago Indian nation organized?
There are two Winnebago tribes today: the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin, and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
Though the Ho-chunk people consider themselves one tribe culturally, the two governments are politically independent.
Each Winnebago tribe has its own laws, police, and other services, just like a small country.
However, the Ho-chunks are also US citizens and must obey American law.
In the past, each Ho-chunk village was led by one war chief (who was in charge of military decisions and law enforcement) and
one peace chief (who was in charge of mediation and negotiations.) Ho-chunk chiefs were chosen by a council of clan leaders.
Today, Ho-chunk leaders (called "presidents" in Wisconsin and "chairmen" in Nebraska) are popularly elected, just as senators
and governors are.
What language do the Ho-chunk Indians speak?
Most Ho-chunk people speak English today, but some people, especially elders, also speak their native
Ho-chunk language. If you'd like to know a few easy Ho-chunk words,
"haho" (pronounced hah-hoh) is a friendly greeting, and "pinagigi" (pronounced pee-nah-gee-gee) means 'thank you.'
You can also read a picture glossary of Ho-chunk words here.
How do Ho-chunk Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Ho-chunk children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have cornhusk dolls,
toys and games to play with. Lacrosse
was a popular sport among teenage boys as it was among adult men. Like many
Native Americans, Ho-chunk mothers traditionally carried their babies in
cradleboards
on their backs--a custom which many American parents have
adopted
now.
What were men and women's roles in the Ho-Chunk tribe?
Ho-Chunk men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Ho-Chunk women were farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking.
Traditionally Ho-Chunk chiefs and warriors were almost always men, but there have been a few female peace chiefs in the Ho-Chunk tribe, and some women
became warriors and wore men's clothing into battle. Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Ho-chunk homes like in the past?
Unlike other Siouan tribes, the Ho-chunks never lived in tepees. They lived in settled villages of rectangular houses
shingled with birchbark.
Here are some pictures of birchbark houses and other Native American homes.
The Ho-chunks also built sweat lodges and large council buildings for ceremonial and political purposes.
Today, Ho-chunk people live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Ho-chunk clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Ho-chunk men wore a breechclout and leggings, and sometimes a shirt as well.
Women wore a tunic-like deerskin dress.
The Ho-chunks also wore moccasins
on their feet. In cold weather, they wore buffalo robes.
In colonial times, the Ho-chunks adapted European costume like cloth blouses and vests, decorating them with fancy beadwork and ribbon applique.
Here is a webpage with pictures of
Ho-chunk clothing, and here are some photographs
and links about traditional Indian dress in general.
The Ho-chunks didn't wear long warbonnets like other Siouan
tribes. Ho-chunk warriors usually wore a porcupine roach, sometimes
with feathers attached to it. Neither men nor women cut their hair unless they were in mourning. Ho-chunk men usually wore two long braids, and
Ho-chunk women wore one braid. The Ho-chunks often painted their faces and bodies, using different colors and designs for
war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Today, some Ho-chunk people still wear moccasins
or a beaded shirt, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear roaches in their hair on special
occasions like a dance.
What was Ho-chunk transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Ho-chunk Indians made birchbark canoes for fishing and trading trips.
Over land, the Ho-chunks used dogs as pack animals.
(There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.)
The Ho-chunks used snowshoes to help them travel in the winter.
Today, of course, Ho-chunk people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.
What was Ho-chunk food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Ho-chunk were farming people. Ho-chunk women harvested crops of corn, beans, and squash.
Ho-chunk men hunted deer, buffalo, and small game and went fishing in the rivers and lakes.
What were Ho-chunk weapons and tools like in the past?
Ho-chunk hunters primarily used bows and arrows. Fishermen used fishing spears and nets.
In war, Ho-chunk men fired their bows or fought with war clubs and lances.
What kinds of stories do the Ho-chunks tell?
There are lots of traditional Ho-chunk legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the
Ho-chunk Indian culture. Here is a page of traditional Ho-chunk stories.
What about Ho-Chunk religion?
Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately
in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about
Winnebago religion or this site about
Native American spirituality in general.
How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. Our names are Laura Redish and
Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. The site was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2007.
Thanks for your interest in the Ho-chunk Indian people and their language!
American Indian tribes
Contacts and FAQ page
