Long before European explorers and adventurers came to the Great Lakes region, American Indian tribes flourished in the area we now know as the City of Milwaukee. The name "Milwaukee" is derived from an Algonquian word Millioke, meaning "Good Land,” and from a Potawatomi word Minwaking meaning “gathering place by the waters.” Both explanations aptly describe our city.

Milwaukee Today

Today, members of various tribes still call Milwaukee home. Members from the Wisconsin Nations, such as the Ojibwe (Chippewa), Potawatomi, Menominee, Oneida, Stockbridge, Brothertown and Ho-Chunk, as well as descendants from out-of-state tribes, make up Milwaukee's inter-tribal community. This community has given rise to many social, cultural, health and educational organizations. Among the 20 organizations in the Metro area, the Indian Community School, whose building has earned national recognition, promotes ancestral traditions among American Indian youth, while Southeastern Oneida Tribal Services promotes education and awareness through language lessons and cultural workshops. Other organizations, such as the American Indian Student Services of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, hosts an annual powwow in the fall, and the Indian Council of the Elderly hold meals and events created for the American Indian elders in the community.