Revitalizing Traditions
Eeyamquittoowauconnock, the Brothertown Indian Nation, continues to uphold traditions, woošgą (Ho-Chunk), of its ancestors from thousands of years ago. One such tradition is Snow Snake, a game played with wood poles and a long snow track. Visit the Brothertown website, the museum located in the Brothertown Community Center in Fond Du Lac, WI, or one of the annual events listed on this page to learn more about Brothertown’s history, traditions, and activism.
On the right: Nelson Institute Jessie Conaway learning from Ho-Chunk Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Bill Quackenbush
“I came into the project not knowing too much about Wild Rice. I learned the difference from Northern Wild Rice and Southern Wild Rice. I learned how to plant it through mudballs, what it looks like while it’s growing out of the water, and how much the animals especially the birds love to eat it. As well as what makes it hard to harvest, if not done right away. I learned how boats and ignorant people are making it hard to continue to grow. I really enjoyed this internship. I learned a lot from it and I would definitely be interested in attending another one as long as my busy schedule can work with it. Everyone working on the internship were very polite, patient and knowledgeable, and explaining everything at an understandable level for us all to learn.”
– Melissa Wescott, Menominee Tribal Member and 2023 Intertribal Lake Winnebago Wild Rice Revitalization Project Intern
Project Partners
Brothertown Indian Nation and UW-Madison Nelson Institute are project leads, working with a cherished network of project partners: Wisconsin and Michigan Tribes, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, US Fish and Wildlife Service, WI Department of Natural Resources, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Ducks Unlimited, Lake Poygan Sportsmen’s Club, and Universities of Wisconsin-Madison, Oshkosh, and Green Bay.
Annual Gatherings
The Snow Snake Gathering began in 2022 as a joint effort between the Brothertown Indian Nation, the Ho-Chunk Nation, and the Nelson Institute at UW Madison. It is held at Lake Poygan each February. Check the events calendar on the Brothertown website to see when the next Snow Snake is, and learn more about Snow Snakes in this video by Discover Wisconsin, featuring William “Nąąwącekǧize” Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Tribal Member and tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation.
Walleye Weekend is held each June in Fond Du Lac, WI. See more information here!
The Lake Winnebago Water Walk is held each June. The Brothertown Nation began the annual Lake Winnebago Water Walk in 2015. Since then, the Water Walk has been an important ceremony for Indigenous communities to come together to pray for and care for Lake Winnebago. Learn more about the event and its history via this episode of the University of Wisconsin’s Sea Grant podcast “The Water We Swim In,” titled “Water is Life: Lake Winnebago.”
Intertribal Lake Winnebago Wild Rice Revitalization Project 