The Meskwaki people, often known to outsiders as the Sac and Fox Tribe, have long been a part of Iowa history. In 1856 the Iowa Legislature passed an unprecedented act allowing the Meskwaki to purchase land in Iowa. A year later, the Tribe purchased the first 80 acres in Tama County. Today the Meskwaki Settlement is a thriving community of over 4,000 residents which maintains a tribal school and a profitable casino. In a program that originally aired last September, we look at the history of the Meskwaki people in Iowa and the challenges they face today. Guests are: Christine Black-Cloud Garcia, Ex. Director of the Meskwaki Tribe; Larry Lasley, Economic Development Director; Suzanne Buffalo, Clerk of Tribal Court; Jonathan Buffalo, Meskwaki Historic Preservation Director; and Stephanie Snow, Historical Preservation Department Assistant.
