In summing up his reactions to the workshop, Collin Price, the Ho-Chunk Nation public relations officer stated: “Today was a tremendous opportunity to give some insight into our Ho Chunk people and our shared history. I think every attendee learned something new including myself. The rich history and different perspectives made for great discussions and we’re certainly excited about returning to Saint Lucas.

I was gratified to see the descendants of the peoples who settled and nurtured these lands of northeastern Iowa for the past 13,000 years coming together in this Workshop to learn and honor the history and the cultures that went before us,” stated Julio Gutierrez of Colorado Springs.

Jeanette Dietzenbach of Decorah emphasized, “The workshop was a unique opportunity to study and celebrate part of the history of this area which we tend to take for granted. Premier quality presenters and a lot to absorb. Phyllis Orthaus, a Museum volunteer, stated, “This workshop was a awesome team effort and greatly exceeded our expectations.

Jane Keating of Shell Rock delighted in noting, “It was a well-planned workshop.  Going to the historical sites was a walk back in time, as the speakers told the stories about the Winnebasgo, I could almost feel their presence, what an awesome experience. There was nothing boring about this workshop, it kept you on the edge of your seat.”



Gerald Johnson of New Hampton, was enthralled with the Ho-Chunk language being spoken by Jon Greendeer. Gerald said, “I was also very delighted to learn of the amazing rock art in NE Iowa”.

Cecily Harsh de Gutierrez, a volunteer from Colorado Springs, stated, “Jon Greendeer was a very engaging and dynamic speaker able to convey his message about the Ho-Chunk Nation with passion as well as humor.

Co-moderator of the workshop, Clair Blong stated, “We are very thankful to the Ho-Chunk Nation leadership team for their very strong and passionate participation, to the many excellent speakers and the large and attentive audience. The workshop success was due to the many very dedicated volunteers and their extraordinary team effort”.

Clair noted while several interesting topics are being considered for the next annual workshop of the German American Museum, one of specific interest is “Preserving Ethnic Heritages (such as Native American, German, Czech, Norwegian, Irish) in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities”. We intent to explore offering the workshop as a credit hour course with local colleges and universities.