Meskwaki people established the settlement in 1857 by privately repurchasing a small part of the land they had lost in the Sac and Fox treaty of 1842.

[6][7] The Meskwaki Casino Resort is located on the settlement and generates revenue for the welfare of the tribe.

[9] Legislation in 2018 restored the Meskwaki Nation's legal jurisdiction over tribal members within the settlement boundaries.

[10][11] The state of Iowa continues to exercise jurisdiction over pre-2018 legal cases and non-tribal citizens on tribal land.

Some Meskwaki people resisted Indian removal, but they were initially unable to buy property because they were not considered citizens under Iowa law.

The total lands owned by the tribe is called "Meskwakiinaki" by the Meskwaki tribal government.

[16] In the 21st century, there are two other federally recognized Sac and Fox tribes, who have independent reservations and governments in present-day states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.