There’s a Map for That

The tours encourage learning and self-reflection. Bryce Richter

Scattered across campus are markers that tell the story of Indigenous history at UW–Madison, a region long known as Teejop. But those who pass these plaques, sculptures, and landmarks regularly may not give them much thought.

The digital mapping tool Mapping Teejop puts this history, and the ongoing presence of the Ho-Chunk Nation and other Native peoples, front and center. Multiple self-guided tours highlight histories of the Ho-Chunk people who, like other tribal nations across the U.S., were forced to cede their lands in the 19th century during the creation of land-grant universities.

The six tours, each approximately 50 minutes, feature histories collected from UW–Madison and Teejop community members that encourage learning and self-reflection.

Kasey Keeler ’05, an assistant professor of civil society and community studies and American Indian and Indigenous studies, has led the creation of Mapping Teejop. The project is a cross-campus collaboration among the School of Human Ecology, the American Indian and Indigenous Studies program, and the Department of Geography’s Cartography Lab.

“I saw a need for an accessible learning tool that offers students an opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn about the Indigenous past and presence at UW–Madison,” says Keeler.

Mapping Teejop also shares the history of American Indian military service and student activism, and the ways dispossession and non-Native settlement across Teejop altered the landscape.

“I didn’t really know much about the history of the Ho-Chunk people here until I took the tour,” says sophomore Joslyn Salamanca x’27. “The UW reads a land acknowledgment statement before events, but I didn’t know much else. I learned a lot from the tour.”

While the tool has so far been largely used by students, Keeler says anyone can benefit from taking the tours.

“The hope of the project team is that Mapping Teejop is accessible to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to UW–Madison, and that even seasoned history buffs can walk away having learned something or having paused and engaged in some critical reflection,” she says. “We hope the project opens avenues for ongoing dialogue on and off campus.”

Published in the Spring 2025 issue