Lecture highlights Indigenous resilience, adaptation in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region

Lecture highlights Indigenous resilience, adaptation in Wisconsin's Driftless Region

An upcoming public lecture will transport attendees back in time, offering a glimpse into how the ancestors of today's Ho-Chunk people adapted successfully to the region-even through its brutal winters.

William "Nąąwącekǧize" Quackenbush, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, will present the lecture "Ho-Chunk Winter Life in the Driftless Region" on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Centennial Hall. Quackenbush will chronicle how Indigenous ancestors adapted to significant environmental shifts in Wisconsin's Driftless Region-a landscape that includes Coon Valley, Hillsboro, La Crosse, Prairie du Chien, Viroqua,and Westby-since the glaciers retreated.

At regional archaeological sites, researchers uncover evidence of ancient activities, including stone tools, pottery fragments, hearths, animal bones and charred plant remains, offering insight into how these ancestors adapted to their surroundings. However, identifying archaeological traces of winter activities is more challenging, as they often leave little evidence in frozen ground.

Quackenbush's lecture highlights how Tribal perspectives and knowledge can enhance archaeological and geological interpretations of the past.

A member of the Ho-Chunk Deer Clan, Quackenbush serves as both the Ho-Chunk Nation's Tribal historic preservation officer and cultural resources division manager. He is also the president of the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Repatriation Committee and was awarded the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers in 2024, recognizing his significant contributions to heritage and cultural preservation.

Since 1982, the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center (MVAC) at UWL has engaged in research, preservation, public outreach and education related to the region's long cultural heritage. MVAC's public lectures have featured findings from UWL archaeology field schools and other regional excavations, international research, and specialized projects, such as archaeologists' recovery of missing service members' remains from overseas.