Remembering the Dakota Uprising

By Russ Gifford

Perhaps the most tragic story in a volume of sorrow is the history of the Native American uprising in Minnesota in 1862. It will begin with the horrific death of innocents, but the choices made after that are all bad. The result would decide the future of the Native Americans in all parts of the country.

In a summer when rampant corruption combined with outright theft, a deadly drought would leave the relocated and badly treated Dakota tribe starving. They had given up their lands in exchange for a narrow remaining strip running through their former holdings. Adding to the irritation, it did not help that the river basin that fed the fertile lands leading to the confluence of the major river at Mankato was not in the tribe’s new holdings. That land now housed the latest arrivals to the region, with small towns and homesteads popping up across the former native lands.

Crops everywhere were failing that hot, dry summer. And the hunting was worse. But this fact led to further anger. When tribesmen tried to hunt further afield, natives who had no voice in the agreement realized for the first time the true ramifications of the deal with the U.S. government. They were no longer allowed to leave their small area. They were no longer free to hunt in their former lands. Cut that sentence to the true meaning – they were no longer free. As Chief Shakopee would declare, “Over these lands my father was once undisputed chief, and over these hills I once rode free on my horse - but now….” Tempers rose.

The promise of food as payment in exchange for their land was the point made repeatedly by the elders who had signed the agreement. That promise was the only saving grace found, as parched earth produced only brown grass and little else that dry summer. But the food, when it did arrive, was far less than promised. And none of the money arrived. When confronted by the chiefs about the meager food allotment and being cheated on the cash as well, the Indian agent’s response was contemptuous and dismissive. Into this deadly mix of volatile emotions, an act of unwarranted violence would seal the fate of all concerned. The future war would begin with a senseless, horrific murder of five innocents near Acton. The result would propel both sides into a clash of arms as the leaders ceded direction to the younger hotheads of their tribes. Join Russ Gifford as he recounts the events leading to this moment and the many sad events of this conflict. This history is still alive for many in our region on both sides, as violence casts a long shadow. In this program, we will hear eyewitness accounts from both sides, see the remaining monuments, and see not only how the tragedy begins but also the long tragic consequences for all involved that follow.