The Ho-Chunk Nation has regained ownership and stewardship of 165 acres of ancestral homeland in Dane County through a landmark conservation partnership.

     The property, located in the Lower Mud Lake Natural Resource Area south of Babcock County Park, includes wetlands, woodlands and shoreline along the Yahara River, Lower Mud Lake and Lake Waubesa.

     Dane County purchased the property for $6.41 million through its Conservation Fund before transferring ownership to the Ho-Chunk Nation under a permanent conservation easement co-held with Groundswell Conservancy.

     The agreement permanently prohibits development while preserving public access and protecting the land's ecological, archaeological and cultural significance.

     County officials say the partnership represents a new model for conservation by combining environmental protection with Tribal stewardship.

     "This is a historic investment in conservation, cultural preservation, and partnership," Dane County Executive Melissa Agard said in a statement announcing the purchase. "These lands are environmentally significant, culturally sacred, and deeply important to the history of this region. I'm proud Dane County is taking this step to protect this land forever while ensuring it can be stewarded by the Ho-Chunk Nation, the original caretakers of this place."

     The land contains six recorded archaeological sites and 22 ancient burial mounds, many of which date back centuries. Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Bill Quackenbush said the landscape reflects generations of Ho-Chunk history and traditional ecological knowledge.

     "We're the only tribe that has the ability to speak confidently about we were the first original people from this region right here," Quackenbush said during an interview with PBS Wisconsin and ICT News. "We have beautiful stories that talk about how we adapted through time from living in a place of refuge, what today's society calls the Driftless Area, and moving back into these first places as that glacier began to recede."

     Quackenbush said the property also presents an opportunity to educate future generations about traditional plant knowledge and the Ho-Chunk relationship with the land.

     "Every plant is a resource," Quackenbush said. "They say everything our Mother Earth gifts us is a form of medicine."

     Beyond its cultural importance, the property protects sensitive wetlands and wildlife habitat within the Yahara River watershed.

     Under the agreement, the Ho-Chunk Nation will own and manage the land while assuming responsibility for its maintenance, property taxes and long-term stewardship. Groundswell Conservancy and Dane County will conduct annual visits to ensure the conservation easement continues to protect the property's natural and archaeological resources.

     Future plans for the property include protecting its environmental resources while creating educational opportunities for visitors to learn about Ho-Chunk history, culture and traditional ecological knowledge. Tribal leaders have discussed developing a gazebo and interpretive space where the public can gather and learn about the significance of the landscape.

     The agreement is being recognized as one of Wisconsin's most significant recent land return efforts, demonstrating how conservation partnerships can permanently protect culturally significant landscapes while returning stewardship to Indigenous nations.