LA CROSSE, Wis. — The city Park Board voted unanimously to remove the Hiawatha statue at the north end of Riverside Park. In an hour of discussion, a representative of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Conroy Greendeer, called the statue irrelevant to La Crosse. “Hiawatha has never seen Hinųkwas — La Crosse as you know it,” Greendeer said. “We understand the rationale of honoring our people. However, the argument falls short of this installation. It does not reflect our people and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.” The removal has been estimated to cost $15,000. The plan is to return the statue to the family of sculptor Anthony Zimmerhakl,wh created the statue dated 1962.
