29 Why the Fox River? Maame Afua Poku Names. They are things that are given to people, places, items, and other things once they are created. Names are given with significance. For example, in Ghanaian culture, parents name their children after the day they are born. Names are given to us to make sure that people are connected back to their culture or their origins. When it comes to the naming of places, such as Mt. Denali, Tacoma, and Doso Dayabi, colonizers have felt the need to change the names of these places to make it easier for people to remember. However, they do not know that this makes people forget the history that is connected back to the origins of the land. This almost happened to the Fox River, however; this plan never went through. Name-changing harms the history of places because people never understand the central importance and reasoning behind the creation of the land. Now, everyone must be wondering, why is the Fox River called the Fox River. To understand this, let us look at the history of the inhabitants of the Fox River. Before 1634, the Meskwaki people were the inhabitants of the Fox River.1 The primary use of the Fox River during their time was to trade things to other places, such as Mexico.2 They are also known as the Sac and Fox tribe. Originally, this tribe is located in the St. Lawrence River Valley, which is along the Canadian border.3 They ended up migrating and being located in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. The reason why the Meskwaki Tribe migrated to Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa is that, during the 1700s, they were a part of the Fox Wars. During this Fox War, 1 Ward Duren J H., Meskwakia and the Meskwaki People (Tama County, Iowa) (Iowa City, IA: State historical Society of Iowa, 1906). 2 “History: Meskwaki: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi,” Meskwaki Nation (Meskwaki Nation), https://www.meskwaki.org/history/. 3 “History: Meskwaki: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi,” Meskwaki Nation (Meskwaki Nation), https://www.meskwaki.org/history/.
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