Fire Circle At University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Honors Native American Presence

Press release from UWM at Waukesha:

November 1, 2021

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is installing a fire circle in front of Merrill Hall to recognize Milwaukee’s Indigenous peoples and provide a place of celebration for Native American students and others.

A ceremonial gathering was held Tuesday morning, Oct. 26. The gathering included the posting of an eagle staff and singing of sunrise songs as the moon set and the sun rose in the east over the campus.

The fire circle includes 16 granite stones, with carvings on a central stone depicting Lake Michigan, the confluence of the three rivers that meet in Milwaukee and the historical location of Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee villages. (The central stone is still in transit and will be installed when it arrives.)

This press release was produced by UWM at Waukesha. The views expressed here are the author’s own.