How do canoes recovered from a lake help us learn about the first people and communities in what is now Wisconsin?
Dugout canoes were used across the Americas by Native people for thousands of years for travel, fishing, transporting goods, recreation, and more. With the recovery of two dugout canoes from the bottom of Lake Mendota, more about First Nations communities has been brought to the surface for us to learn from.
Let's take a look
Questions to consider
How were the canoes found?
What can we tell about First Nations communities in the area now known as Wisconsin from studying the canoes?
How can we figure out how the canoes were made?
Meet the historians
Get to know the historians. Each historian in this episode has a card with information about that historian.
There are 5 cards to read.
Taylor L. Bailey
Public Historian
I get to look at things and moments in history and teach others about them!
Nick Hoffman
Public Historian
I get to share our fascinating history and culture with the world!
Kacie Lucchini Butcher
Public Historian
I find and share stories from the past that have shaped our present, and love showing people how cool history is!
Bill Quackenbush
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
I work with agencies and community members to preserve the Ho-Chunk Nation’s historical and cultural heritage.
Tamara Thomsen
Maritime Archaeologist
I enjoy discovering hidden pieces of history and solving mysteries that lie just below the surface of our lakes and rivers.
Canoe Clues: Analyzing Historical Sources
This interactive lesson puts students in the role of historians researching a dugout canoe. Students explore different kinds of research through video, audio, and images.
Quote from a historian
“We talk about [this with] our youth, you know, with items of this nature, the realization that their ancestors had made this themselves, with their hands.”
Bill Quackenbush
Episode credits
Producer
David Boffa
Coordinating Producer
Mia Forslund
Hosts
Taylor Bailey
Kacie Lucchini Butcher
Nick Hoffman
Special Guests
Bill Quackenbush
Tamara Thomsen
Research and Writing
David Boffa
Mia Forslund
Jackie Pozza
Videography
Ryan Hendricks
Ian Glodich
David Boffa
Editing
Ian Glodich
David Boffa
Captioning
Catie Pfeifer
Translation Services
Rev
Educator Support Materials
David Boffa
Mia Forslund
Kate Melberg
Web Design
Charles Barrows
Erika Kachama-Nkoy
Web Development
John Vieth
Graphic and Motion Design
Danielle Riseley
Charles Barrows
Ian Glodich
Additional Production Support
Philip Ashby
Al Barcheski
John Dachik
Angie Hause
Kurt Kaspar
Andy LaValley
Doug May
Will Salzmann
Executive Producer
Director of Education
Megan Monday
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Project Partners
Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History
University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries
Wisconsin Historical Society
Special Thanks
Bill Quackenbush
Ho-Chunk Nation
Scott Roller
Tamara Thomsen
Sean Geib
James Beaver
Dave Krueger
Jill Schleis
Paul Wittkamp
UWPD Lake Rescue & Safety
Educator advisors
Debbie Burmeister
Neenah, WI
Peoria, AZ
Erin Ermis
Neenah Joint School District
Neenah, WI
Toni Heinowski
Muskego, WI
Tanya Schmidt
Oshkosh Area School District
Oshkosh, WI
Barb Shaver
Kettle Moraine School District
Wales, WI
Funding Provided By
Timothy William Trout Education Fund
a gift of Monroe and Sandra Trout
Eleanor and Thomas Wildrick Family
Focus Fund for Education
Friends of PBS Wisconsin