RAGBRAI has come and gone.  Thank you to all our volunteers and visitors.

The Meskwaki Annual Powwow Association is hosting a fun-filled event at the South Tama County High School grounds. Located next to the block house, an ”Indian Village” will be constructed for visitors to come and experience Meskwaki hospitality while satisfying their hunger with some delicious Indian Tacos made by the Proclamation Committee, Round Dance, Meskwaki Settlement Student Council and Robert Morgan American Legion Post 701.

Also the Robert Morgan Legion Post 701 will be constructing a couple of wickiups so visitors can look in a traditional home. The Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA), Bill Whittaker, will be doing a historical presentation about a couple of prior Meskwaki locations in the 1700’s & 1800’s. Also a bison bone exhibit, provided by OSA, and some spectacular Meskwaki Historical Preservation posters will be displayed for everyone’s viewing.

Dance performances by the MAPA dance troupe will be presented at the “Indian Village” as well as performing on the main stage at 5:00 PM. Larry Yazzie and son will be giving a performance at the Meskwaki Village and the main stage as well.

11 AM ~ Indian Taco Stand and Historical Preservation display
2 PM to 2:40 PM ~ Dance performance at the Indian Village
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM ~ Special Performance by Mr. Larry Yazzie and son, Jessup
3 PM – 5:30 PM ~ Bison/bone exhibit provided by OSA at the Indian Village
3:30 PM to 4:15 PM ~ Recent Historical Research into Sauk and Meskwaki Locations in Iowa. Presented by Bill Whittaker, Archaeologist; Office of the State Archaeologist
5 PM – 6 PM ~  Dance performance at the Main Stage in Toledo

Bill Whittaker

July 23, 2008, “Indian Village” South Tama County H.S., Tama, 30 - 45 min.

Recent Historical Research into Sauk and Meskwaki Locations in Iowa

Other than the government-sanctioned settlements, the nineteenth-century location of Sauk and Meskwaki sites are poorly documented in Iowa. Recent historic research provides new insights into the location of a few important Meskwaki and Sauk locations in Iowa, including Quashquame’s Village near Montrose (ca. 1700–1840s); the Wishecomaque Village Cemetery in Des Moines (1843-1846);  a Sauk and Meskwaki ceremonial area in Downtown Des Moines in the 1840s and 1850s associated with prehistoric mounds; and historical evidence for the Meskwaki maintaining a village or villages along the Iowa River northwest of the current Settlement in the 1840s and 1850s. If time and interest allow, recent excavations at Fort Des Moines No. 2 will be discussed; this was the military post which oversaw the Meskwaki and Sauk, 1843–1846.

Dr. William Whittaker (Bill), archaeologist with the General Contracts Program at the Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa.

For every ticket sold, you will receive a $0.25 off per gallon! So not only you have a chance to win a high-performance bike but you will receive a guaranteed $0.25 off per gallon purchase at the Meskwaki Trading Post (next to casino), located 4 miles West of Tama-Toledo area!

Only 1,500 tickets will be sold so your chances of winning are high!  20 gallon max w/ coupon

Here’s the specification of the high-performance bike:

TREK – MADONE 5.0 60 cm
Frame - OCLV 120 Carbon,  60 cm
Fork - Bontrager Race Life, Carbon
Wheelset - Bontrager Race
Crank - Shimano Ultegra 53/39 or 52/39/30
Color - Black Pearl Carbon

With generous support from the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, the Meskwaki Trading Post and Mike’s Bikes & Fitness (Marshalltown, IA), all proceeds will go to one of Iowa’s premiere cultural attractions,
the 94^th Annual Meskwaki Indian Powwow, August 7 – 10, 2008.
SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY, INQUIRE FOR MORE DETAILS.

MENU:

Meskwaki Indian Tacos ~ $6.00 per plate
          $5.00 with RAGBRAI wristband

Frybread ~ $3.00

Bottled Water ~  $2.00
Pop ~ $2.00

All proceeds will support one of Iowa’s premier cultural attractions, the Proclamation Powwow, July 15 – 17, 2008 and also support the Robert Morgan Post 701 Auxiliary.

Shuttles run every ½ hour from the Toledo Heights pickup point to the Meskwaki Settlement School and to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel and return to the Toledo Heights drop-off point.   These shuttles start at 1 PM and end at 10 PM.