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Capitol Personalities
Oliver La Mere (ca. 1879-1930)
Ho-Chunk Lecturer and Guide
"The people who live here now know nothing of [the Ho-Chunk's] beautiful mythology, their age old traditions, their great moral truths founded on nature..."
Oliver La Mere was born ca. 1879 on the Nebraska Winnebago reservation. As a child, he attended the Carlisle School in Pennsylvania.
In his 20s, he became a culture broker between the Ho-Chunk and mainstream America, serving as a translator and contributor to academic works. He also worked for pan-Indian organizations to strengthen American Indian communities.
Starting about 1915, La Mere came to Wisconsin where he lobbied for the preservation of human burial mounds, taught community groups about Ho-Chunk culture, and published a book of tribal stories for young people.
In 1928, he was appointed a special guide at the Capitol, where he created a small museum containing traditional Ho-Chunk clothes, jewelry, and ceremonial objects. He taught visiting school groups, Boy and Girl Scout troops, and other visitors about American Indian culture.
After his death on August 1, 1930, La Mere's museum collection (which filled three large trunks) was donated to the Wisconsin Historical Society. |