Hiking with friends makes the trail more fun. We were lucky to receive gorgeous weather last weekend that was perfect for outdoor afternoons. At Indian Lake, a flotilla of geese were sunbathing in the water.
But why is it called Indian Lake? This was once Ho-Chunk land. Was there an encampment? I looked on the Dane County Park website, and found a description of a historical marker at the park which we had not seen. The lake is named for the Sauk and Fox Tribes. Starting in 1830, the US government decreed they should leave Illinois and go to Iowa in order to reserve more Illinois farm acreage for European settlers. Without enough land for their crops, the Sauk and Fox tribe members were starving. Illinois settlers raised a militia because they were afraid of their indigenous neighbors and in April, 1832 attacked the Sauk and Fox, despite the peace flag they displayed. The tribes returned fire, and the lines were drawn for the Black Hawk War. On July 21, 1832, Sauk and Fox Tribe members including their children and elderly, went through southern Wisconsin past the west end of Indian Lake to escape the US Army troops. The army pursued the tribes. On August 2, 1832, further west on the Wisconsin border the Sauk and Fox families attempted to cross the Mississippi River holding a peace flag and the army fired on them from boats. The massacre diminished their numbers from 1000 to 150. This is a beautiful place with a tragic past.
Not knowing the history, we hiked up the incline and began to have wooded vistas. A farm house built by German settlers in the late 1800s is now in ruins. (the barn still stands)
Lovely birch trees grew along the edge of the hill.
A stranger kindly offered to take our photo.
After enjoying the vistas for at least an hour, we hiked down near the lake.
The cattails and white aster seeds were glowing in the sun. My camera captured this better than my phone could. I like their halos.
Cattail Fluff in the Sun Photo: Rebecca Cuningham
The golden time of day arrived, when the lake shines bright with the lowering sun.
We were uplifted by the hike, and also ready for our next meal. Our group said goodbye to Indian Lake, or See you later, perhaps in winter.
Is Indian Lake a descriptive enough name? How about Sauk and Fox Lake to better memorialize their passage. Or, we ask their descendants to choose the name. ¡Olé! –Rebecca
Hello Poets, sharpen your pencils, the celestial tanka poetry challenge is underway!
Tankas are out of this world! Deadline: Sunday, 14 November. Join us.
Fake Flamenco 
An interesting post, Rebecca. I like the picture of the cattails in the sun.
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Thank you, Sue. Glad the camera could capture the glow.
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Thanks, Sue. The fluff has wonderful light catching properties!
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Native American history is hard to come by in the UK – not surprising I suppose – and this horrible incident is more recent than I would have supposed. Yes,Sauk & Fox is more appropriate.
I’m working – no, labouring – on my Tanka!
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Thanks for your comment, Margaret. It is difficult to come by here, much more so than one might expect. The park sign only told the story about the fleeing tribes passing near the lake, but not the sad end to the story.
I look forward to your celestial tanka. A confession; I literally count on my fingers as I say my lines aloud. It seems to flow more readily when I do. 🙂
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Beautiful landscape 🙂
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Thank you, Rosaliene.
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You are surrounded by such natural beauty, Rebecca. Nice of the kind stranger to snap your photo. Cute! Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks, Michele. It was very kind of her. Wisconsin has many wilderness wonders.
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Enjoy! 🌞
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What a tragic history of such a beautiful, now serene place! I agree that a more suitable name should be given this place to honor the Sauk and Fox. Thanks for sharing the lovely day you and your friends had.
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Thanks, Janet. It was a lovely day. I appreciate your sentiments about the place name.
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So tragic!!
Yes, let the Sauk and Fox decide on a name for it.
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Thanks, Carolyn. I think it would be fitting for their tribes to choose the lake’s name.
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Your report of the history of this now-tranquil place made my heart heavy, Rebecca. What a shame this country has such a violent past. On another note, isn’t hiking in late Autumn the best?! 🌞
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Thank you for your response to the history. I do like fall hikes; no bugs.
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A wonderful blog!
I love the idea of renaming places to tell all/more history. In Amherst, MA, where the very large University of Massachusetts is, there is a movement to rename the town “Dickinson” in honor of Emily Dickinson who lived here all her life. Amherst is named for Lord Jeffrey Amherst, who advocated for biological warfare against the indigenous people via infected smallpox blankets. How unbearably sad….
Julie
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Thank you, Julie, for your kind comments and the information on Dickinson. I know that of the two, hers is the name I wish to remember, not Amherst.
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Beautiful
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Thank you!
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Welcome
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