The Fox Tribe lived in the Eastern Woodlands and prairie regions of Michigan and Wisconsin. They spoke an Algonquian language and were closely related to the Sauk Tribe, living and traveling together. The Fox subsisted through growing crops, gathering wild plants, and hunting game. They had a spiritual belief system centered around the upper and lower worlds and spirits of the four directions. The Fox lived in different housing styles between summer and winter and used bark canoes for transportation. Their society was divided into bands led by a hereditary Peace Chief and elected War Chief.

1. The Fox Tribe
By: Laken Arneson

2. Location of the Fox
• They called themselves Mesquake meaning “Red earth people”.
• Early French explorers mistook a clan name for that of a tribe and began
reffering to them as “Renard” meaning Fox.
• Lived in the Eastern Woodlands and prane regions, mainly in Michigan and
Wisconsin but multiple forced locations left their descendants in Iowa, Kansas,
and Oklahoma

3. Tribal Relations
• The Fox was culturally related to the Sauk, Kickapoo, Mascouten, and Shawnee.
• They all speak an Algonquian language.
• The Fox and Sauk tribe have been such closely related allies that they are usually
considered a single tribe the Sac and Fox
• The Fox tribe was nearly destroyed in war with the French and surviving Fox
Indians fled to the Sauk villages for protection. They still live together today .
Sauk & Fox, Kaw Delegation in The Sauk and Fox tribe travelling
Washington, D.C. - 1867 together

4. The Algonquian language
English: Meskwaki
One Nekoti
Two Ni·šwi
Three Neswi
Four Nye·wi
Five Nya·nanwi
Man Neniwa
Woman Ihkwe·wa
Dog Anemo·ha
Sun Ki·šeswa
Moon Ki·šeswa
Water Nepi
White Wa·peški
Yellow Asa·wi
Red Wa·peški

5. The Fox diet and how they got their
food
• The women grew corn, beans, squash, and Tobacco. They also gathered wild
plants such as nuts, honey, fruits, berries, and tubers.
• Men hunted large and small game, deer, and buffalo from the eighteenth century
until 1820.
• Most tools and utensils were made of wood, grasses, stone, or bone. They also
carved bark containers.

6. Their Beliefs and Rituals
• The fox believed in an upper world and lower world.
• Believed to be grand children of the earth.
• Supernatural beings included the Great or Gentle Manitou who ruled the upper
world. Other beings included spirits who were associated with the 4 cardinal
directions of the earth.
• Certain actions might gain the attention and favor of the spirits.
• Winter and Summer ceremonies.
The 4 cardinal directions of Dancing ritual
the earth

7. Clothing, Artwork, and Housing
• Clothing consisted mainly of buckskin, breech-cloths, dresses or aprons, leggings,
and moccasins. Hide and fur robes.
• People painted and tattooed themselves
• Fox artists are known for their quill embroidery, pottery, and beadwork.
• They made silk appliqué from mid 18th century on.
• The fox had two different types of homes they lived in yearly, Summer villages
and winter camps.
• For transportation men made bark and dugout canoes.
• The fox exported deer skins, tallow, and lead.
• The Fox weapons were bows, arrows, and spears.
Moccasins
Breech-cloth Shawl
Apron
Leggings

8. Fox Housing, Transportation, and Weapons
In Summer, the Fox lived in houses covered
in elm bark. In Winter, the Fox lived in small dome-
shaped wigwams covered in reed mats.
Dugout canoe
Elm bark canoe Bow and Arrow

9. Government
• The Fox society was divided into bands or villages that formed in the
summer but broke up in the winter.
• There were divisions of Peace and War
• The fox were each ruled by two chiefs , A heredity Peace Chief and the
War Chief.
The War Cheif
The peace cheif

10. Bibliography
• http://www.bigorrin.org/sf_kids.htm