Description
The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, the Meskwaki call themselves Meshkwahkihaki, which means "the Red-Earths", related to their creation story. The name is derived from the Meskwaki creation myth, in which their culture hero, Wisaka, created the first humans out of red clay. They called themselves Meshkwahkihaki in Meskwaki, meaning "the Red-Earths". Meskwaki are of Algonquian origin from the prehistoric Woodland period culture area.
Language
The Meskwaki spoken language is of a similar dialect to the Sauk and Kickapoo
Culture
Men hunted deer and buffalo and protected the tribe, women gardened and built bark lodges, rendered skins clothing, cooking, and child care. Religious stories were passed along through an oral tradition. Meskwaki boys learned hunting skills from their fathers and listened to tribal stories that prepared them to become leaders as adults. Meskwaki girls spent the days learning how to feed and clothe their families. Both males and females participated in traditional dances the expressed their religious beliefs and formed a part of their courting rituals. When white traders introduced manufactured items like iron cookware, cloth and firearms, Meskwaki hunters began hunting deer, beavers and other fur-bearing animals for skins that could be traded for items they could not produce themselves.