Chief Little Priest	WINNEBAGO HISTORY Since as early as 500 A.D., The Winnebago Tribe-originally known as the Hochungra, or "People of the Parent Speech" - have been located in areas of Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. The Winnebago Tribe was moved to Minnesota, then to South Dakota, and finally to their current location in Nebraska where the Winnebago Indian Reservation was established by treaties of 1865 and 1874. During their many moves, many Winnebago never left Wisconsin. Raided by the Lakota and pressured to allot their reservation, many Winnebago left Nebraska during the 1870s and 80s and went home to Wisconsin. (continued below)

The government would send them back, but the Winnebago just kept going, and the government finally purchased land in Wisconsin for the Winnebago. As a result, there are two separate Winnebago tribes today: the Wisconsin-Winnebago and the Nebraska Winnebago.
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The Winnebago Tribe organized under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act and is currently federally recognized. The 1936 constitution and bylaws were amended in 1968. The Tribal Council is composed of a chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and five other members. In 1986, the Tribe reestablished is sovereignty in the area of its legal system.