Thank you for taking the time to read and sign this petition to remove the honor of a place name from a figure who was responsible for such gross violations of human rights. Our goal is much more than to change the name of a park, however, but also to create awareness and dialogue about our area's history. If you have time, please watch the YouTube links below and have conversations about what you learn from them with your friends and neighbors. We appreciate your support, and it’s clear that the folks who are signing this petition heard about it from friends or family through their email, social media, or by word of mouth. If you feel like promoting this petition, sharing it in these ways would be great.

Background

The complete history of Governor Henry Dodge is not commonly known. Many portrayals of his life omit these disturbing facts and more.

Moses Henry Dodge was the commander of the militia forces who, on August 2nd, 1832, along with regular army troops under Colonel Atkinson, trapped a large group of fleeing Sauk and Fox against the banks of the Mississippi, and murdered them as they tried to escape, killing men, women, children and the elderly, in some cases mutilating their bodies.(1),(2)

Rather than bring him disgrace and punishment for these egregious crimes, Henry was rewarded. He was promoted to colonel of the mounted Dragoons, then was made Territorial Governor of Wisconsin, a “free” territory. He illegally brought 5 enslaved people there, Tom, Toby, Lear, Jim, and Joe, and forced them to work in his lead  smelters for 12 years, building his fortune on the backs of their labor.(3)(4)

NOTES
1 EBwiki, Bad Axe massacre, article
2 “Black Hawk- The Journey Home” http://blackhawkjourney.blogspot.com/
3  Redfearn, Winifred and Robeson, Deja M.,  “Slavery in Wisconsin,” September 11, 2018 Wisconsin state historical society 
4 Tesdahl, Eugene “Lead, Slavery , and Black Personhood in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Magazine of History, Summer 2019 

Petition

We, citizens of the earth and believers in Justice, are disgusted by what we’ve learned about the history of Governor Henry Dodge. We petition that he be stripped of the honor of having a park named for him, which he never deserved. Not doing so continues the injury to the descendants of those who suffered his injustices.

A new name for the park should be selected with public input, and the Meskwaki and HoChunk whose land this was should be invited to contribute, as well as members of the African American community.

Furthermore, an interpretive exhibit should be installed which brings light to this dark history, as well as a statement acknowledging the indigenous people’s traditional right to the use of and responsibility for the stewardship of this land.