In historic first, flag of Ho-Chunk Nation raised atop Bascom Hall

On a brilliantly lit fall morning, with an appropriate breeze in the air, the University of Wisconsin–Madison raised the flag of the Ho-Chunk Nation atop Bascom Hall Friday, on land the Ho-Chunk call Teejop, or Four Lakes. The occasion marked the first time in campus history that the Ho-Chunk Nation flag — or any nation’s flag — has flown for a day alongside the U.S. and Wisconsin state flags on UW–Madison’s central administration building.

Hundreds attended the flag-raising ceremony on Bascom Hill, part of the university’s ongoing commitment to educate the campus community about First Nations history and to recognize the land as the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk. Flag raisings are part of contemporary Ho-Chunk culture.

Native Nations_UW Tribal Leadership Summit Welcomes Interior Secretary Haaland

In May, the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland addressed attendees at the virtual Native Nations_UW Tribal Leadership Summit. The summit marked the beginning of Phase 2 of the Native Nations_UW Working Group, which addresses community well-being, health services, the environment, economic development, education and family well-being in partnership with the Native Nations in Wisconsin.