Why Iowa Is the Hawkeye State: Chief Black Hawk and a Legendary Hawk

Iowa's nickname honors Chief Black Hawk (Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak), a Sauk leader — and a hawk that seemed to bless his survival.

The Legend (1832)

1. Black Hawk War: Sauk leader Black Hawk led 1,000+ followers back across Mississippi to reclaim Illinois/Iowa lands ceded in disputed 1804 treaty
2. Battle of Wisconsin Heights: Black Hawk severely wounded
3. River retreat: Carried to Mississippi to wash wounds
4. The hawk: A hawk swooped low, nearly touching water, then soared up
5. Interpretation: Black Hawk took it as omen of survival/resilience
6. New name: Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak = "Black Hawk, saved by diving hawk"

From Legend to State Nickname

• 1838: Iowa Territory created
• 1840s: "Hawkeye" used in newspapers (Burlington Hawkeye founded 1839 by James G. Edwards — inspired by the legend)
• 1846: Iowa Legislature officially adopts "Hawkeye State" upon statehood

Black Hawk's Fate

• Captured 1832; toured East Coast as celebrity
• Dictated autobiography (first Native American memoir published in US)
• Died 1838 in Iowa; buried near Iowaville
• Grave robbed; skeleton displayed; eventually reburied

Modern Resonance

• University of Iowa: Hawkeyes (Herky mascot)
• State identity: Resilience, underdog pride, connection to land
• Black Hawk County, Black Hawk Lake, Black Hawk Bridge — toponyms across Iowa

The nickname transforms a war of dispossession into a story of nature's endorsement — a complicated legacy.