Sorry about the long silence. I’m still in the thick of making revisions to the text, and putting final touches on the graphics, for my new, upcoming presentation at the Cedarburg History Museum. It’s this Saturday, May 9th, at 6:00 p.m., at the museum, N58W6194 Columbia Road, Cedarburg, WI 53012.

Admission to the talk, and to the museum and its 2026 premier exhibit “First Nations,” is free to all.

Beyond the clichés…

I’m going to give an overview of the First Nations that lived in what we now call Wisconsin, with a special emphasis on the people that called old Washington and Ozaukee county “home” before—and after—the arrival of European-Americans, following the War of 1812. There will be a special emphasis on using old and new sources to clear up some errors of fact, while doing our best to avoid reinforcing or repeating historical clichés, stereotypes, and other nonsense.

We’ll also take a look at the push to open new lands to white settlement, and the government’s pro-settlement policies and treaties and their impact on various Indian nations. A unique feature of the talk will be a closer look at some actual, documented interactions between the county’s First Peoples and some of the newly-arrived settlers. (Let’s just say, you shouldn’t believe everything you read in books — or the newspaper.)

Finally, if you’ve always thought of “Native American history” as something old, over, and relegated to the dim, dusty past, think again! Not only do Native Americans still live among us, but I have also assembled a digital collection of colorful maps, prints, watercolors and oils from the period, and I think you may be surprised to see this pre-photography era of our local history come to life in color.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be blogging more after this weekend. See you then.

P. S.

I had a great time speaking to the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society last month. More about that coming up, too.