The Indian Removal Act of 1830 gave the president authority to negotiate treaties with American Indian tribes to remove them from their lands east of the Mississippi River westward. A treaty signed on Sept. 15, 1832, mandated the eviction of Hoocąk families from the Rock and Fox Rivers by June 1, 1833.

 

Wawa’ąįja (wau-wau-ainja) – “lift above head” – is a Hoocąk place name which refers to the process of carrying a canoe from the Fox to the Wisconsin River at this location. Portage became a recurring place where Hoocąk families grappled with forced displacement. It was not just a physical route for expulsion. It was also a place where Hoocąk people chose to represent themselves in response to the upheaval.