MIGRATIONS—ARGUMENT FROM NAMES. 189 
WINNEBAGO. 
Two centuries and a third ago the French traders and missionaries 
from Montreal and Quebec came in contact with the Puants, living on the 
“Bay of the Puants,” now Green Bay, in Wisconsin. ‘These Indians were 
called Winnepekoak, or “People of the fetid water,” by their Algonkian 
neighbors; but their name for themselves is Hotcangara, “People of the 
Original Speech,” modified to Hotayke by the Dakota, and Hujanga by 
the Omaha and Ponka, though these modified names signify “Big Voices” 
in their respective languages. 
The Winnebago language is closely allied to the Dakota.! One can 
not but think that less than a thousand years ago they were a part of the 
same people. 
They may have separated at an early period from these cognate tribes, 
and even reached “salt water,” whence their Aleonkian name. Examples 
of such separation are found in the Biloxi of Mississippi and the Yesa™ or 
Tutelo, formerly of Virginia and North Carolina, now in Canada. 
But, confining ourselves to history, two centuries ago the Winnebago 
were on Lake Michigan. During the eighteenth century they had drifted 
slowly across the State of Wisconsin. In 1806 Lieut. Pike met the Puants? 
with the Fox at Prairie du Chien. In the war of 1812 the Winnebago, with 
the tribes of the Northwest generally, ranged themselves on the side of the 
British. While a small portion of the tribe remained in the interior of Wis- 
consin, the majority were removed across the Mississippi into Lowa and 
located on Turkey River about the year 1840. Thence they were taken 
up to Long Prairie, in Minnesota. Not being at all satisfied with that 
country, they were again removed to what was to be a home in Blue Earth 
County, back of Mankato. They were supposed to have had some sympathy 
with the Dakota in their outbreak of 1862, and accordingly they were 
removed with the captured Dakota, in the spring following, to the Missouri 
River. Their location at Crow Creek was highly distasteful to them, and, 
accordingly, they made canoes and floated themselves down to the Omaha 
Reservation, in Nebraska, on a portion of which the Government arranged 
to have them remain. 
It should be mentioned that the Winnebago were largely engaged in 
7 at the 
the French and Indian War. Forty-eight were present in 175 


'See “Comparative Phonology of Four Sionan Languages,” in Smithson. Rept., 1883.—s. 0. p. 
2The name Puants means Stinkers. There is no doubt but that the French traders at first 
understood the name Winnebago to mean stinking water. But it is believed they were in error, and 
that its proper meaning is salt water. 
