East side music venue The Winnebago, which opened just eight months ago, will change its name out of respect for Indigenous people, according to a statement posted on its website.
The statement says the owners intended to “create a safe space that warmly welcomed everyone and celebrated all of our city’s diverse communities,” but “Regretfully, we didn’t put the same thought into naming our establishment.”
The statement says the owners wished to anchor the venue to its location and simply named it after the street it’s on.
“But Winnebago is not just a street. The Winnebago are a People, and we had no right to use their name,” the statement says. “For eight months, we have been welcoming people into a space with a name that isn’t ours to use and we’re committed to righting this wrong.”
The statement specifically apologized to the Ho-Chunk Nation, who were once known as Winnebago, and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
The statement says the name will change on January 1, 2020, and that a new name has not yet been chosen.
