Bear Tracks: Memories of a Ho-Chunk Elder

Author: Sherman Funmaker

Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press (2026)

"For me, writing is a form of therapy. I write thoughts down and send them out to the universe. I miss the ones I loved, and when I write about them it feels good to put these stories onto paper. It allows me to visit them when I need to.”

Sherman Funmaker—poet and musician, designer and teacher, son and brother—shares his life story in his intensely personal debut, Bear Tracks: Memories of a Ho-Chunk Elder. In this collection of poems and short essays, Funmaker explores themes of childhood and familial ties, finding and leaving home, coming of age, experiencing love and loss, creating art, and seeking belonging.