The Fox Indians are a Native American tribe consisting of the Sac, Asakiwaki (Sauk), and Meshwahkihaki (Mequakie/Fox) native to the northeastern regions of the present-day United States. They settled the shores of the Great Lakes and were involved in the Black Hawk War before settling in Indian Territory. They are now a federally recognized tribe with open tribal membership. Their culture is based on reverence for life within each person, family, and community.
The Fox Indians are a Native American tribe consisting of the Sac, Asakiwaki (Sauk), and Meshwahkihaki (Mequakie/Fox). They are native to the northeastern regions of the present-day United States. In the Algonquin language spoken by the Fox Indians, Asakiwaki means “people of the yellow earth” and Meshkwahkihawi means “people of the red earth”. The origin of the Algonquin word is said to come from alligewinenk, which translates to “joining from distant places.”
Specific dialects of the Algonquin language spoken by the Fox Indians are called Mesquakie-Sauk. Mesquakie was primarily used by the Meskwaki, or Fox, Indians, and Sauk was spoken primarily by the Asakiwaki, or Sac, tribes. These two dialects are mutually intelligible. Some linguists consider the Kickapoo language to be another separate dialect of Mesquakie-Sauk. This theory is not universally accepted, however, because the Kickapoo language has developed tone distinctions over time that are generally not understood by Mesquakie-Sauk speakers.
The Fox Indians settled the shores of the Great Lakes, especially Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, when first contact by Europeans was made. In 1832, war broke out between the Sac and Fox Indians and the United States. The war became known as the Black Hawk War and made the tribal leaders Black Hawk and Keokuk cultural icons. One result of the Black Hawk War was that many tribesmen moved out of the region. They wandered through many different locations, including the modern-day states of Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas, before settling in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1870.
Until 1937, this American Indian tribe was known as the Sac and Fox Tribe of Mississippi River Indians. That year, the tribe established itself as a federally recognized and organized tribe. This was made possible, in part, by the enactment of the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1934. The act also resulted in open tribal membership available to anyone named in their tribal rolls, along with descendants who have at least an eighth Sac and Foxblood.
The Fox Indians believe that the Great Spirit chose a fertile valley and the land nearby as the home of the tribe. The spirit reportedly required that the Sac and Fox Indians consider each other tribal brothers. Each tribe, however, developed their own unique sacred philosophies. The culture within the tribes is primarily based on the reverence for life within each person, family and community.
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