The Ho-Chunk or Winnebago (as they are commonly called) are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what are now Wisconsin and Illinois. The term "Winnebago" originally came from a name given to them by rival tribes, which meant something like "people of the stinking water", though the exact translation is disputed. The French called them the Puans, translated into English as "Stinkards", based on the information given by rival groups of natives. The more correct, but less common English name for the tribe is "Ho-Chunk". They call themselves "Hotcâgara".
The Ho-Chunk language is part of the Siouan language family, and is closely related to the languages of the Iowa, Missouri, and Oto. The Ho-Chunk were the first people to welcome French explorer Jean Nicolet when he arrived at what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1634.
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