What do the Effigy Mounds mean?
The exact meaning of the effigies is only beginning to be understood by archaeologists, largely through information provided by Native Americans. It has long been suspected that the thousand year-old animal shapes represented clan symbols, and recent studies have recognized patterns that compare with clans associated with the sky, earth, and underworld. For example, in some mound groups birds (perhaps representing the Thunderbird or Eagle clan) were built higher on the land than bear mounds. These clan groupings had specific duties in tribal society. Even today, the Great Seal of the Ho-Chunk Nation places the Eagle (who carries a peace pipe) above the Bear (which holds a war club). The underworld, is often told of as a water spirit or panther, and the Mauston mound is one such example. It is interesting that this panther mound is oriented so that it appears to be emerging from the adjacent river.
