Hįnųkwas Tree Trail on the UWL Campus

The more we learn about trees, the more it strengthens our relationship with these members of our community. While we observe the beautiful trees and the identifying signs, we will gain a deeper understanding of their names, features, and functions. In understanding the importance of different trees, it allows us to stay curious about what makes them unique, and how they play a role in our reciprocal relationship with nature. As Potawatomi botanist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer says in her 2015 book Braiding Sweetgrass, “Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them.” Kimmerer also reminds us: “Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.” The first step in recognizing what this relationship encompasses is paying attention. Through this attention, we gain a better understanding of Grandmother Earth and appreciate her gifts.

The idea for this tree trail originated when Robin Wall Kimmerer visited UWL’s campus in spring 2024. One of the reasons her writing is so profound is that it uplifts Traditional Ecological Knowledge, including stories, beliefs, and skills held by indigenous people around the world. As stewards of the land and all its inhabitants for millennia, indigenous voices have much to teach the rest of us about sustainability, relationships, and resilience. We can begin by learning some names and relationships with “tree people,” as Kimmerer refers to our tree kin.

The Hįnųkwas Tree Trail encourages walkers to explore how trees are known by different names, based on location and culture.  By including the Ho-Chunk names with tree signage, the trail can foster respect for indigenous presence in our community.

The Ho-Chunk Nation (or Ho-chungra, meaning “people of the Sacred voice”) has a deep history in the La Crosse, Wisconsin area. The Ho-Chunk have inhabited the Upper Midwest for thousands of years, with their ancestral lands spanning present-day Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. The La Crosse area, situated along the Mississippi River, provided the Ho-Chunk with resources, including fertile land for agriculture, waterways for transportation, and a range of plants and animals for sustenance. The US government pressured the Ho-Chunk to give up their lands through treaties, resulting in the loss of millions of acres. Efforts to forcibly relocate the Ho-Chunk to other states, including Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, were met with resistance. Many returned to their ancestral lands in Wisconsin, including the La Crosse area, despite repeated removals. The Ho-Chunk Nation engages in efforts to preserve their heritage, language, and traditions while fostering community development. The legacy of the Ho-Chunk in La Crosse is a testament to their resilience and deep connection to their homeland, reflected in ongoing partnerships, cultural events, and stewardship of the land. For further exploration, resources such as the La Crosse Public Library and Wisconsin First Nations provide a wealth of information about the Ho-Chunk's historical and contemporary significance.

This is the Ho-Chunk word for the La Crosse area, and the literal translation references the view of two bluffs. The Ho-Chunk word Hįnųkwas translates literally to “woman’s breasts”. This meaning also signifies that the area is a place where the land will take care of and nurture its inhabitants similar to a mother nurturing her young.

We chose native tree species for this tree trail. Presence of even a single native tree can have far-reaching benefits on ecosystems. Native plants are hosts to an enormous number of insect and other animal species. For example, in addition to providing nuts and cavity homes, the Bur Oak hosts several different butterfly larvae and hundreds of species of moths. Having more of these insects means more birds. Most bird species rely on native insects to lay eggs, feed their young, and prepare for migration. Non-native trees, like the Norway maple and Gingko trees on campus, have not been in Wisconsin long enough to co-evolve with the rest of the organisms here.

The chosen route was designed to showcase some of Wisconsin's most prevalent native trees. One of our goals was to highlight a variety of culturally important trees. Walking the route at a normal pace, while taking a moment to meet each tree should take approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

The tree trail loop begins at the Student Union and will take you past Murphy Library, Cowley Hall, Centennial Hall, The Center for the Arts, Morris Hall, Wing Technology Center, Wittich Hall, Prairie Spring Science Center, and back to the Union. With a few exceptions, the trees were chosen with spacing that allows walkers to look ahead to find the next species on the route. Walking between trees also gives website readers a chance to reflect on what they learned.

Contributors 

• Ho-Chunk Language Division, especially Huucnigik (Wilbert) Cleveland and Hiwicožų  (Samson) Falcon
• Ho-Chunk Forestry Division, Hoocᶏk Xatap Hirakara –Kjetil Garvin 
• Ho-Chunk Cultural Resources Division, Lucas Quackenbush
• ENV 303 Woodlands of the Driftless and ENV 496 Environmental Studies Capstone with Alysa Remsburg and BIO 302: Introduction to Plant Identification (F24) with Adam Schneider 
• Alysa Remsburg, Adam Schneider, Andrew Ericson
• UWL Facilities Management - Scott Brown, Anthony Meidl
• UCOMM - Jake Speer, Kaylie Connaughty, Neal Meier
• UWL Green Fund
• Range maps by Michael A. Black, originally published in Weeks et al., Native Trees of the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use, ed 2 (2010). Reproduced with permission of Purdue University Press.