INDIGENUITY & TEEJOP: A DISCUSSION WITH SAMANTHA SKENANDORE

  • Samantha Skenandore Slider Image

Join us to discuss the history of Teejop, learn about and acknowledge the sacred land that UW-Madison is established on.

The one-hour conversation/lecture is open and FREE to both students and the public, and will end with a 30-minute Q&A. If you have any questions relating to this event please contact dls@union.wisc.edu.

Sign Language interpreting will be provided with CART captioning available upon request. If you need another accommodation to attend this event, please contact Kate Lewandowski at kate.lewandowski@wisc.edu. All accommodation requests should be made no less than two weeks before the event. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date but cannot guarantee they will be met.

The Hoocąkra (Ho-Chunk People)

The Hoocąkra (the Ho-Chunk people) have called Teejop (Four Lakes) home since time immemorial. Teejop is a special sacred place that is now home to people from all over the world and some remaining Hoocak community members. Together we are the Teejop community. We are friends. We are neighbors. To take this communal relationship to a the higher level requires a dose of “indigenuity” – the creative genius of indigenous people sharing their traditional cultural knowledge to overcome adversity and craft new solutions. This practice is known to strengthen and bring value to the individual, the community and the bond that has intertwined us. This lecture is tailored to introduce fellow Teejop community members to the rich history of Teejop captured by its stewards, Hoocąkra, and to challenge community members to practice, observe and promote mindful learning, respect and exploration of this sacred place.

About Samantha Skenandore

Samantha Skenandore, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, has practiced federal Indian law and tribal law for over 15 years. She recently completed a four-year elected term as Associate Justice for the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court and she continues to advise tribal and corporate clients in historic preservation, cultural resources, real estate, tribal governance, governmental affairs, corporate transactions, labor issues and litigation. Samantha has represented over 20 tribes, tribal companies and tribal organizations and is admitted to practice in Wisconsin, Arizona and 6 tribal jurisdictions. Her experience extends to representing clients before members of Congress, congressional committees and agencies in order to observe the federal trust and government-to-government relationship between tribes and the United States.

Samantha previously served as a Tribal Attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice, clerked for the United States Department of Justice, Indian Resources Section and served as a judicial clerk for the State of Colorado Division of Administrative Hearings.

Samantha has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Behavioral & Sciences & Law with a Certificate in American Indian Studies (2001) and a J.D. from the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law (2005). She completed international coursework from the University of Tulsa, Comparative and International Law Center, Geneva Institute on Indigenous Peoples Law, Geneva, Switzerland (2003).

Samantha has lived in Teejop for over 15 years and has had the privilege to help protect dozens of indigenous sacred sites throughout the state of Wisconsin.