The Indians of Wisconsin, p. 6

6

they found the Menomonees occupying the western shore of Green Bay ; the Winnebagos on the upper Fox river ; the Sauks and Foxes on the Wisconsin. The Mascoutins were supposed to have possession of the country at the south and in the interior.

Were we able to trace accurately the history of the Indian nations, we should find, upon a small scale, a counterpart of the written history of the Caucasian race. One, by fortunate location, good government, and peaceful habits becomes prosperous, and therefore ambitious ; without international law, and with no respect for the rights of others, they crowd upon, and soon displace their less fortunate neighbors. These are hence compelled to encroach upon the hunting grounds of other tribes, and in this way the map of North America, like that of Europe, required adjustment from time to time. Thus the names of places, of rivers and lakes, handed down from their vicinity ; and we may perhaps, understand why, in all the modern Indian languages we can find no explanation of the origin of the names of our state and city. They may be names applied by some tribe now extinct, or to be found in some far-distant country.

In the general classification of Indian nations and tribes, ours fall under two great divisions ; as follows :

ALGONKIN ; including the Chippewas, the Menomonees, Potawatomies, &c.

DACOTAN ; which includes the Siouxs and the Winnebagos.

That all the tribes of American Indians are of one race (the American race) of men, was first distinctly shown by Dr. S. G. Morton, by the examination and comparison of their skulls, taken from all parts of the continent. This conclusion has recently been confirmed by Lewis F. Morgan, who finds that the nations from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Gulf of Mexico to the country of the Eskimo,