"Why did the Great Spirit ever send the whites to this island to drive us from our homes?" asked Black Hawk. Many people see the great Sauk war chief as the archetype of the doomed hero -- willing to fight against overwhelming odds to preserve his people's way of life. In this section you'll encounter the Sauk and Mesquakie, two tribes so closely associated they are officially considered one. You'll learn how losing the fight to keep their land irretrievably altered the lives of Black Hawk and the Sauk and Mesquakie Nations. More about Sauk Nation ...