Meskwaki Tribal Museum

07/13/2026

Today, we honor Proclamation Day, commemorating the 1857 purchase of land in Tama County by the Meskwaki Nation.

This historic act of determination marked the beginning of the Meskwaki Settlement and our return to our Iowa homeland. We remember the resilience and vision of our ancestors, whose actions continue to shape our community today.

Happy Proclamation Day! 💚❤️

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 13, 1857, the Meskwaki paid $1,000 in gold to purchase 80 acres along the Iowa River to return the tribe to the state and create the Meskwaki Settlement. Today, the Meskwaki hold nearly 9,000 acres throughout the state and represent a vital part of Iowa’s past, present, and future.

The Meskwaki, an Algonquian-speaking people, were located throughout the upper Midwest before European colonization. They fought the French for nearly forty years in the 1700s. Allying with the Sauk to fend off extermination at the hands of the French, the Meskwaki eventually moved out of the Great Lakes region to settle in today’s Iowa and Illinois.

The Sauk and Meskwaki also fought against American incursion, choosing to ally predominantly with the British during the War of 1812. In the aftermath, treaties in 1825 and 1830 at Prairie du Chien started the removal of the Sauk and Meskwaki from east of the Mississippi River. Although some leaders, like Wapello, advocated for accommodating American-driven changes, others, including Black Hawk, fought back. Following the Black Hawk War of 1832, treaties concluded during the 1830s and early 1840s ultimately aimed to dispossess the tribe and relocate them to Kansas.

However, many Meskwaki remained in Iowa. After a forced departure from Iowa in October 1845, the American official overseeing the arrival in Kansas recorded that only 20% of the tribe had arrived by the end of the following year. Other military reports record the discovery of groups numbering as many as 200 hidden throughout Iowa during the decade that followed.

In 1856, the Iowa General Assembly passed a measure allowing the formal return of the Meskwaki to the State of Iowa, opening the door to the initial land purchase on July 13, 1857. A settlement owned by the sovereign Meskwaki people (not a federal government reservation), the Meskwaki's return to Iowa marks an important moment in the state’s early history.

06/28/2026

We are open from 12pm-5pm today! Stop by and see us!

06/11/2026

The lasting legacy of this story is not Fort Robinson, but the resilience of the Meskwaki people. Faced with the destruction of their village, they responded with dignity, strength, and a commitment to community. Their culture, language, and traditions endure today --- a true testament to a people who refused to be erased.

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 11, 1850, settlers near Marshalltown started construction on Fort Robinson after burning down a nearby village of the Meskwaki. A tense moment in Iowa’s settlement-era history, the little-discussed episode demonstrates the difficulties presented by difference and fear along the frontier.

The trouble started in the spring, when settler Samuel Davison confronted several Meskwaki leaders, leveling accusations of livestock meddling and depredations. John Campbell alleged the Meskwaki killed several of his hogs and drove off several of his cattle. With the Meskwaki’s primary leader on a visit to Washington, D.C., settlers found the Meskwaki response inadequate and bided their time as tensions built. Their chance came in early June when the Meskwaki headed out to hunt.

Sneaking into the village, several settlers set fire to the wigwams, the Meskwaki's stored corn, and their clothing. Afraid of retribution, the innocent portions of Marshalltown feared swift and terrifying retribution from the Meskwaki upon a return to the burned-down village. Sending messengers to Major Wood and the American troops stationed at Fort Dodge, the settlers constructed a split-timber fort on June 11. Wood declined to intervene from Fort Dodge, citing an inability to spare troops while 24 settler families moved into the hastily constructed fort. Several Meskwaki returned to find their village incinerated while Fort Robinson neared completion.

The returned men sought answers from the settler community, who suggested the fort might protect them from the Meskwaki’s traditional enemies, the Dakota. The Meskwaki offered both arms and assistance to the settlers who had recently burned their village to the ground. Fearing treachery, the settler community declined the offer of assistance. Unfazed, the Meskwaki offered some advice on constructing loopholes and returned to their village.

06/11/2026

UPDATE!! DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY, JUNE 28, AT THE SAME TIME/LOCATION.

We hope to see you there!

06/01/2026

Thanks to everyone who works for or partners with the Tribe and for doing the amazing work that you do in order to better the lives of people in our community, our employees, and our neighbors. Working together has been a strong tradition here in Iowa for a long time.

This presentation on June 6th takes a closer look at the Tribe's shared history with Iowa, a unique story in America without compare. This event is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation, and we sincerely appreciate their steady long-lasting partnership in this and many other endeavors.

The Meskwaki Museum will also be open at noon for visitors before, during, and after the presentation. Stop by for a visit!