Peace Garden

Peace Garden. . This Peace Garden interprets the history of the Native American tribes, the Sauk and Mesquakie, who resided in this area from 1750 to 1831. The Mesquakie, called “Renards” (the Fox) by the French, and the Sauk were separate tribes with close historical ties. They occupied several villages along the Mississippi with the main village, Saukenuk, located near the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers. Life for the two tribes during this time was good. The forests, rivers, and rich soil provided an excellent living. Through a series of treaties and the Black Hawk War, the Sauk and Mesquakie lost all local lands and were ultimately removed to a reservation in northeast Kansas in 1845. Some Mesquakie remained hidden in Iowa, and in 1856, the State of Iowa enacted a law allowing them to stay. , The Peace Garden mosaics and sandblasted animal images are adapted from Sauk and Mesquakie beadwork, ribbon appliqués, woven bags and rugs, and paintings on hide created between 1830 and 1890. For the Mesquakie, the turtle represents the earth and ground of the American continent. Legend says that a flood covered the whole continent, and the turtle repeatedly went down to the bottom of the sea to bring up soil. Hiawatha watched him and timed the length of his dives. They became shorter and shorter until the ground was above the water. That ground is the American continent. The circle represents the cycle of life and the seasons. , This art project was developed with assistance from Campbell's Island residents, Mesquakie spiritual leader Preston Duncan, and other community members under the guidance of Artist/Facilitator Kunhild Blacklock.