Our Shared Future

The University of Wisconsin–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land,
a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory.

Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully,
sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.

This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation.

Today, UW–Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation,
along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.

This is Native Land

We acknowledge the circumstances that led to the forced removal of the Ho-Chunk people, and honor their legacy of resistance and resilience. This history of colonization informs our work and vision for a collaborative future.

The above statement, “Our Shared Future,” represents UW–Madison’s commitment to respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the other First Nations of Wisconsin. It is a first step that calls on each of us—faculty, staff, and students—to deeply consider our shared past and present with Indigenous peoples in this place, Teejop, and to make our own personal and institutional commitments to achieve a shared future together. Our campus-wide commitment to NAGPRA compliance is one aspect of the UW-Madison’s overall pledge to this goal.

To learn more about this statement and how it applies our campus, please visit: https://oursharedfuture.wisc.edu/.

We encourage you to also visit the web sites of each of the First Nations in Wisconsin for more information: