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The Archaeology and Exploration of Lake Amatitlán

To date, 13 underwater archaeological sites have been found and all but one are in the northern half of the lake. Evidence of ancient agricultural terraces is evident on the hills of the northern and southern shores of Lake Amatitlán, and several Maya archaeological sites have been identified on the shores as well. The order and type of ceramic styles found at a site can provide clues to its age.

Archaeological History - Prehistoric Peoples

Archaeology is the study of past cultures based on objects and evidence they have left behind.

To know about a past for which there are no written records, physical remains must be studied in an orderly way. As with any science, this field is continually changing as new discoveries are made and new ideas are developed. The following is a brief discussion on Wisconsin archaeology, generally representing the views of archaeologists and anthropologists.

Northeast

The Northeast region includes portions of southeastern Canada, and is bordered in the United States by the Mississippi River and Atlantic Coast. The tribes of this region represented in the Museum’s cradleboard collection are the Iroquois (4) and (1) Oneida example specifically, Menominee (1), Mexican Kickapoo (2), Ojibwa/Chippewa (7), Potawatomi (3), Sauk (1), and Winnebago/Ho-Chunk (3).

Menominee Treaties and Treaty Rights

Peace Treaty with the U.S.

The first treaty the Menominee signed with the United States was in 1817. Like most Midwestern tribes, the Menominee sided with the British during the War of 1812, and after the conflict ended, the United States made peace with all the tribes which had opposed it during the war. The 1817 Treaty restored a state of peace between the United States and the Menominee, and the tribe sold no lands at this time.

Kwakiutl

Kwakiutl MaskFor the indigenous First Nations of Canada’s Pacific coast, masks are more than mere decoration or ceremonial props; they are part of a living tradition that connects people to their community, their collective past, their creator, their ancestors, their cosmology, and powerful elemental forces.

The majority of the masks presented here were made by Kwakiutl[1]  (now known as Kwakwak

Spearfishing Controversy

Treaty Background

During the 1980s and early 1990s, there were many violent clashes in northern Wisconsin over the issue of Ojibwe spearfishing. Violent scenes at boat landings received national and even international attention. Sometimes, thousands of White protesters showed up at boat landings as Ojibwe fishermen prepared to spearfish walleye and other species of fish. These crowds often shouted racial slurs, threw things at the fishermen, and even assaulted them.