Sauk Indians
The Sauk Indians lived in Michigan and Wisconsin. The Sauks were part of the Algonquian Indians. The Algonquian Indians consisted of various tribes that spoke similar languages. "Sauk" means "people of the yellow earth."
The Sauks were originally allies of the French but fell from favor when they helped Indians who were hostile to the French. The Sauks were divided about which side to support during the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution the Sauks sided with the British against the Americans.
The Sauks never were a prominent tribe in Ohio. They gave up all claims to lands in Ohio with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Harmar (1789). In 1804, the Sauk Indians relinquished all of their lands east of the Mississippi River.
References and Suggested Reading
- Barr, Daniel P., ed. The Boundaries Between Us: Natives and Newcomers Along the Frontiers of the Old Northwest Territory, 1750-1850. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2006.
- Bond, Beverley W., Jr. The Foundations of Ohio. Columbus, OH: Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, 1941.
- Hurt, R. Douglas. The Ohio Frontier: Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1996.
- O'Donnell, James H., III. Ohio's First Peoples. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2004.
- Ricky, Donald B., ed. Encyclopedia of Ohio Indians. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, Inc., 1998.
- Trask, Kerry A. Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America. New York, NY: Henry Holt, 2006.
Time Periods
Citation
"Sauk Indians", Ohio History Central, July 1, 2005, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=627
Feedback
Do you have comments that you would like to send us about this entry? Use our secure feedback form to send us your thoughts.
