09/19/2026
The Joy of Dance at Teewakącąk (Sacred Lake)
The first Teewakącąk cultural event and Ho-Chunk dance performance at Devil’s Lake State Park was held in 2019. On a cloudy Thursday evening this week, and despite the construction, about 160 people gathered at the park for this year’s program.
It’s worth remembering the work and conversations that led up to that first event, and those that followed. The efforts of the park naturalist and Melanie Tallmadge Sainz of Little Eagle Arts Foundation - LEAF helped make that first program possible and, over the years, they have worked to build something of a tradition here at the park.
Today, we’re seeing more Ho-Chunk cultural programs appearing elsewhere within the Wisconsin state park system as well, which seems to say every year more and more of us are recognising the need and the value of these programs.
For me, this is really what makes these evenings important and special.
Each year since 2019, the dance performance, and the educational programs that followed, have become a chance for people to come together here at Teewakącąk, to learn from one another, and simply to share some joy in this revered space.
For those of us who grew up in this community, there’s something meaningful in that. It speaks to how much has changed, while also reminding us that there is still plenty of work ahead of us.
Maybe that’s ultimately the story of this program. People choosing to come together, listening, learning, laughing and dancing at a place that has meant very different things to different people across its long history.
Thank you to everyone who has worked over the years to make these events happen; to Elliott Funmaker, Sr. (Ho-Chunk), for sharing his insights; and to his family and dancers for once again sharing their artistry, and these joyful moments with all of us.
