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The 22-acre Lizard Mound Park, owned and operated by Washington County since 1980, was recently transferred back to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Hopes of securing long-term protection and preservation for the site’s 28 Native American effigy mounds – among the largest and most intact in the country – was the motivating factor.
The ancestral burial ground stands to invite exploration and education about the Ho-Chunk Nation, members of which believe the mound builders to be among their ancestors. Conversation is underway with the DNR on how to properly maintain the site – from lawn mowing to cultural sensitivity training for staff.
– Hannah Van Sickle, The Wisconsin 100