1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Hey, folks, erin here. Just a heads up. This episode 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: contains stories of violence and genocide that might be hard 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: for some to hear. Take care while listening. Turkey Cranberry's 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: stuffing and pumpkin pie. It's the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: many Americans. It said time to gather and give thanks 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: for all that we have. Ever since grade school, we've 7 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: been taught that when the Pilgrims arrived in America, the 8 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: local Wampanoag tribe helped them survive in the new world. 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: To show their gratitude, the Pilgrims invited their new friends 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: to a feast in late November of sixteen twenty one. 11 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: Historians still debate the origin of Thanksgiving, with some pointing 12 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: to the Peaquot War of sixteen thirty seven as the 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: first event. See The colonists feared that the native Peaquot 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: people would form an alliance with the nearby Narragansetts and 15 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: drive them into the sea. According to the governor of Plymouth, 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: a guy named William Bradford, armed soldiers surrounded the Pequot 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: village and set it on fire, calling the deaths a 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: sweet sacrifice. Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay colony declared 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: a day to celebrate. Fast forward to the sixteen twenties, 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: the English separatists, known as These Saints, ended up in 21 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Plymouth sometime in December. Sick and low on supplies. Their 22 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: survival seemed bleak. They encountered the Wampanoag tribe, who offered assistance. 23 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: In a show of compassion and peace, the two nations 24 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: signed a treaty, with both sides promising to protect each 25 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: other from enemies. The jurisdiction was sorted out later. After 26 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: losing nearly half their settlers in the first winter to sickness, 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: the English teetered on extinction. The Wampanoag also suffered, though 28 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: Europeans brought diseases after all, killing ninety percent of the 29 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: native population. Still, Chief Massasoit represented seventy Wampanoag communities. At 30 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: the feast. Native Americans and pilgrims celebrated with venison, wild fowl, 31 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: cod and recently harvested vegetables. But the celebrations wouldn't last 32 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: for the Native Americans across the land. Oppression and persecution 33 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: were soon to come. I'm Aaron Mankee, and welcome to 34 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: the wild West. During America's early years, settlers believed that 35 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: nothing was free and that hard work was the only 36 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 1: way to achieve success. But free land was a deeply 37 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: rooted part of American folklore and the original American dream 38 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: of European settlers. It didn't help that the US government 39 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 1: encourage them to spread west, conquer the land, and make 40 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: it prosperous. The goal was to increase and multiply so 41 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: they could hold the land regardless of who might already 42 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: be living there. Congress didn't always agree, at least about 43 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: the free part. Then the Civil War ushered in even 44 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: more significant changes. In eighteen sixty one, Lincoln told the 45 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: nation that the American government's purpose was to elevate the 46 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: condition of men and to give everyone an unfettered start 47 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: and a fair chance in the race of life. The 48 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: Homestead Act followed in eighteen sixty two, granting free land 49 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: to those wanting to farm. Homesteaders who wanted land had 50 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: to file a claim and then pay an eighteen dollar fee. 51 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: Ten dollars of that fee went to claiming the land, 52 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: another two went to the land agent for a commission, 53 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: and the remaining six dollars payment went toward the patent 54 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: on the land. Filers could buy land for a dollar 55 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: twenty five per acre. Homesteaders also needed to fulfill additional requirements, though, 56 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: including five years of continuous residents on that land, building 57 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: a home there, farming it, and making improvements. Applicants could 58 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: not ever have borne arms against the United States, and finally, 59 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: two neighbors or friends had to certify the applicants had 60 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: fulfilled the requirements. In the era of the Civil War, 61 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Union soldiers were granted the privilege of shortening that mandated 62 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: five year residency peer by the duration of their service 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: in the military. Before land ownership was unattainable for a 64 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: lot of struggling farmers, but with the Homestead Act, they 65 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: had a better shot at prosperity. Additionally, women could now 66 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: make land claims, marking a significant milestone. This change also 67 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: provided a new path for immigrants who were not limited 68 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: to working in coastal industries or for large farm owners. 69 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: They could form their own communities, as seen in the 70 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,679 Speaker 1: establishment of New Olm, Minnesota. German and Bohemian immigrants founded 71 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: the town and displayed little desire to integrate into American society, 72 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: instead choosing to limit commerce within their community. The town 73 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: primarily spoke the native languages and created a new home 74 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: for themselves on the riverbank. In eighteen fifty three, steamboats 75 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: passed by New Olm, bringing troops to lay out Fort Ridgeley. 76 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: For the next two decades, settlers, freight supplies, and gold 77 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: all arrived by boat. Native Americans and New Olm settlers 78 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: traded and mingled freely. Life along the river banks seemed idyllic, 79 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: at least until white settlers came by the hundreds, taking 80 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: over the homes and the hunting grounds of the Dakota tribes. 81 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: The trouble started in eighteen fifty five while the Dakota 82 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: who occupied the land were away hunting elsewhere. The settlers 83 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: literally moved into the Dakota's bark houses and took over 84 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: their land, and then refused to leave, even when the 85 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: original inhabitants returned and demanded their property back. Although there 86 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: were treaties between the settlers and the Dakota, the newcomers 87 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: ignored them. As you might imagine, the Dakota didn't care 88 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: much for people stealing their homes and crops, but it 89 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: didn't stop with just taking their property. The settlers also 90 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: drove away the game that the Dakota needed for food. 91 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: They also brought smallpox, which decimated the tribes, so the 92 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: Dakota sent their chief, Teyo y Te Dutta to speak 93 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: on their behalf. The white settlers simply called him Chief 94 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: Little Crow, a mistranslated version of his father's name, which 95 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: had meant charging hawk. Although Little Crow tried to reason, 96 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,799 Speaker 1: the settlers turned to deaf ear. They refused to leave 97 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: to honor the treaty, and they declined to pay the 98 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: Dakota for what they'd taken. Hungry and homeless, the Dakota 99 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: resorted to begging. More white settlers followed, though, taking even 100 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: more of their land. Eventually, the government offered the Dakota 101 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: annuities monthly payments, handing them out midsummer, But in eighteen 102 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: sixty two, the payments were late, supplies were low, and 103 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: the Dakota were hungry, so hungry, in fact, that they 104 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: had no choice but to eat unripe fruit and marsh grass. 105 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: Settlers refused to offer aid, and unlike the white settlers, 106 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: the Dakota were not allowed to buy supplies on credit. 107 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: The settlers remained unempathetic, though the Dakota lacked food necessary 108 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: for their survival, and they weren't about to help them, 109 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: which turned out to be the perfect recipe for confrontation. 110 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: Andrew Meyrick worked as as a trader at the Lower 111 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: Sioux Agency. Although he had a Dakota wife, he was 112 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: unforgiving of the desperate Dakota's plight. Taking Indigenous women as 113 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: wives was a common practice for white men. They raised 114 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: their children in European American culture and cut their wives 115 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: and children off from their Indigenous heritage and roots. Now 116 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: Myrak had two stores in Yellow Medicine and Redwood near 117 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: the Upper and Lower Sioux Agencies. The Dakota at the 118 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: Upper Agency asked for help from the store owners as 119 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: they waited for their annuity payments and ran low on food. Myrik, 120 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: among others, declined. The Dakota tribe was left without payment 121 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: until their annuity arrived, and the federal representatives showed very 122 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: little concern for their survival. Despite attempts to negotiate credit 123 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: extensions in exchange for direct payment to traders, the government 124 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: denied the request, leaving the Dakota to face starvation. Amidst 125 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: the Civil war chaos, The indigenous people's plight appears to 126 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: have been disregarded by the American government. On July second 127 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: of eighteen sixty two, Timothy J. Shehan, the commander of 128 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: the fifth Minnesota Volunteer Regiment, arrived with his men to 129 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: find that the annuity payment was still missing. The Dakota 130 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: people were already struggling with hunger and deprivation and were 131 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: close to losing their patients. Throughout the summer, tensions escalated, 132 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: fueled by an incident involving Little Crow and Andrew Myrick. 133 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: Myrek had significantly profited from the Dakota throughout the treaties 134 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: that deprived them of their resources, and showed no compassion 135 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: toward their struggles. So Little Crowe confronted Myrek. If the 136 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: annuity was on its way and his stores were full 137 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,439 Speaker 1: of supplies, Myrek should be able to extend both sympathy 138 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: and credit so they could get back on their feet. 139 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: Myrek exploded in anger, and soon a crowd formed around them. 140 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: Myrek told Little Krow that if the Dakota were hungry, 141 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: they could and I quote, eat grass. The Dakota in 142 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: the crowd began yelling at Myrek, but the confrontation quickly 143 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: settled down. Myrek later wrote about their behavior to his brother, 144 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: although of course he left out his own incendiary remarks 145 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: from the letter. July came and went, and the payment 146 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: had still not arrived. When a few hungry Dakota men 147 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: returning from an unsuccessful hunting trip, came across a farmhouse. 148 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: They argued amongst themselves about stealing some eggs, and while 149 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: the details are lacking, the rumor was spread that the 150 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: men killed the family inside. They reportedly also stole horses 151 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: from a nearby farm, eventually traveling to Little Crow's home. 152 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: A crowd gathered as the men told their story. The 153 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: men said that they weren't sorry. They'd been pushed too 154 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: far for too long. They had everything taken from them, 155 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: and the white settlers were starving them to death. They 156 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 1: argued that the payment might never arrive, or the money 157 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: would be worthless, like everything else promised to them. The 158 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: Dakota had been patient for far too long, and now 159 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: it was time for war. The mood was heavy as 160 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: Little Crow stood before the crowd, his face blackened and 161 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: his head covered mourning. He spoke of hard truths, warning 162 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: the people of the danger ahead if they went to war. 163 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: He warned them that the white men were like locusts, 164 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: swarming in such numbers that they could not be defeated, 165 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: they would come faster than the eye could see, their 166 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: guns in hand, and they would not stop until they 167 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: had killed all of them. But his people didn't listen. 168 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: They were too angry, too desperate. Their desire for revenge 169 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: blinded them. They saw only the injustice that had been 170 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: done to them, and the land that had been stolen, 171 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: and the women that had been taken. They couldn't see 172 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: the danger that lay ahead. The next morning, Little Crow 173 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: led one hundred Dakota warriors in a silent march to 174 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: the trading center at the Lower Agency. No one spoke 175 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 1: or made a sound. They walked with purpose, their eyes 176 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: fixed on their goal. When they arrived at Andrew Myrak's house, 177 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: one of them knocked on the door. A man answered 178 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: and was promptly shot. Hearing the commotion outside, Myrik knew 179 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: who had come for him, and he quickly fled out 180 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: one of his windows. He ran for the wood goods, 181 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: but he couldn't escape the fury of the Dakota. His 182 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: body was later found riddled with holes from bullets, knives, 183 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: and arrows, But most telling of all was what they 184 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: discovered in his mouth. It had been stuffed with grass. 185 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: The summer of eighteen sixty two saw a violent conflict 186 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: between the Dakota people and the government, resulting in hundreds 187 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: of deaths and thousands of displacements. The failure to honor treaties, 188 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: forced removal from their land, and inhumane treatment had pushed 189 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: them to the breaking point. Yet more European American settlers 190 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: continued to encroach on Dakota territory and demand payment for crops, 191 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: which further impoverished the already struggling indigenous population. Minibuse, a 192 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: seven year old girl living with her family about fifty 193 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: miles north of Newelm, would never forget August eighteenth of 194 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty two. She and her brother hid in a 195 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: cornfield when the Dakota attacked. Their father, still holding their 196 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: three month old sister in his arms, was shot. Minnie's mother, 197 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: just behind him, sat down abruptly in shock, holding Minnie's 198 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: two year old sister. A bullet passed through both their bodies, 199 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: killing them. All many could hear were the gunshots and 200 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: the birds singing overhead. She and her remaining siblings tried 201 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: to run, but were immediately captured. The Dakota warriors robbed 202 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: Myrick's stores for much needed supplies, and meanwhile, Little Crow 203 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: tried to spare certain people, many of them of mixed race. 204 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: But word of the killing spread quickly, and the settlers, 205 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: who had previously turned their backs on the Dakota desperately 206 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: tried to flee. Many of them were either captured or killed. 207 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: In mid August, Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsay appointed Henry H. 208 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,839 Speaker 1: Sibley to colonel within the state militia, but fighting against 209 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: the Dakota would be a difficult task for sibly he 210 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: had traded with them for almost a quarter of a century, 211 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: He spoke the language, had been adopted into a band 212 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: of Dakota's, had a Dakota child, and knew Little Crow personally. 213 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: Little Crow, on the other hand, began a campaign to 214 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: drive the settlers out of the region and reclaimed Dakota homeland. 215 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: They reached New Ulm on August nineteenth, where they found 216 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: the town on high alert. Residents had hastily erected wooden 217 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: barricades to defend themselves. The Dakota arrived in the afternoon, 218 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: but Little Crow and his supporters wanted to focus on 219 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: Fort Ridgeley. Nearly one hundred warriors disagreed and continued on 220 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,319 Speaker 1: to New Ulm, leaving the rest to watch and wait. 221 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: The fighting began on the outlying farms, many of which 222 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: were burned, but a heavy downpour put out some of 223 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: the fires and drove away the warriors. On August twenty third, 224 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: the Dakota returned to Newelm. Little Crow led the attack 225 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: with six hundred and fifty warriors. The battle took twenty 226 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: four hours. It was the only time Native Americans surrounded 227 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: and laid siege to a Western town. New Olm's residence 228 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: worked hard to aid the wounded, to craft more ammunition, 229 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: and to defend their town. The Dakota hesitated to attack, 230 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: possibly fearing the trap, but army reinforcements arrived the next day, 231 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: repelling the Dakota before they could take over the settlement entirely. 232 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: The town, though, was burned and ruined, with thirty four 233 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: dead and sixty injured. Over one hundred and fifty wagons 234 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: carrying approximately two thousand people, including women, children, and wounded, 235 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: had been evacuated. In early September, General Sibley attempted to 236 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: persuade Little Crow to surrender. Little Crow explained the reasons 237 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: for the war and expressed his willingness to release prisoners, 238 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: but he would not surrender. However, two other leaders, Chiefs 239 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: Wabashaw and Talpi, who had opposed the war, were willing 240 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: to discuss surrender as the war had caused division within 241 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: the tribe. The conflict lasted for weeks, and with many 242 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: men away fighting in the Civil War, there was a 243 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: constant lack of supplies and fighters on the part of 244 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: the U. S. Army. They continued to request help from 245 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: Lincoln and army superiors. It finally on September sixth of 246 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty two, Lincoln formed the Department of the Northwest 247 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: and appointed General John Pope to command it. When troops 248 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: were ready to ship out, they were sent to the front. 249 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: Despite battles and victories being traded back and forth, it 250 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: wasn't until September twenty sixth that the main body of 251 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: Dakota Warriors surrendered. They had been decisively defeated in the 252 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: Battle of Woodlake and their ammunition was running low. Along 253 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: with them were more than two hundred and fifty European, 254 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: American and mixed blood prisoners that the Dakota Warriors had captured. 255 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: Little Crow and a few other soldiers managed to escape. Meanwhile, 256 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: prisoners like Little Minibuse were found and reunited with surviving family. 257 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: At least, it seemed life would finally settle down. Sadly, 258 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: the backlash that followed against every single Indigenous person in 259 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: Minnesota was hideous. Regardless of whether or not they had 260 00:15:53,520 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: participated in the attacks, No one escaped untouched. The US 261 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: Dakota War of eighteen sixty two was a tragic episode 262 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: in American history. They marked one of the first times 263 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: that settlers in Minnesota faced the consequences of their actions 264 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: against the Dakota people, but the war had devastating effects 265 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: on both the settlers and their Indigenous neighbors. The sensationalized 266 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: accounts of the war that were published in newspapers across 267 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: the country spread quickly, describing inaccurate atrocities such as scalping 268 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: and children being nailed to trees and fences. Outrage was widespread, 269 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: and people demanded action. Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsay used the 270 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: massacre as an excuse to pursue what states and federal 271 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: officials had long wanted to do. He declared that the 272 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: Native Americans of Minnesota must be exterminated or at least 273 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: driven far beyond the state's borders. A report from the 274 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: Interior Department followed, suggesting any means necessary for the driving 275 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: out of the Dakota, including and I quote, extermination, massacre, banishment, torture, 276 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: killing with smallpox, poison, and kindness. As a result, indigenous 277 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,719 Speaker 1: tribes in Minnesota were rounded up and put into concentration camps. 278 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: Trials began at camp release in November of eighteen sixty two. 279 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: More than three hundred Dakota men were sentenced to death. 280 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: A legal representation for them was denied, and each trial 281 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: rarely lasted more than just a few minutes. General Sibley 282 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: wanted to execute them immediately, but he was concerned about 283 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: presidential approval. He sought permission from Lincoln, who called a 284 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: halt to the proceedings and requested information on those who 285 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: had committed the most heinous crimes. Lincoln understood that many 286 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: of the convicted had not even participated in the massacres, 287 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: but were only guilty of resisting US armed forces. Lincoln's 288 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: decision to uphold only thirty nine convictions and commute the 289 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: rest angered settlers in Minnesota and beyond. On December twenty 290 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: sixth of eighteen sixty two, the government hanged thirty eight Dakota, 291 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: making it the largest single execution in American history, and 292 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: the men whose sentences he commuted were sent to Iowa's 293 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: Camp McClellan, where they remained for four years. But Minnesota 294 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: officials weren't satisfied with Lincoln's actions. They killed, banished, and 295 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 1: imprisoned any Indigenous peoples found within their borders. Hundreds of 296 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: friendly Indigenous people who had never raised a hand against them, 297 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: were marched from Camp Release to Fort Snelling, but along 298 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: the way, furious white settlers attacked them. About three hundred 299 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 1: died from exposure, illness, and injury. Nearly sixteen hundred Native 300 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: American women, children, and elderly were held on Pike Island 301 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: during the winter of eighteen sixty two to sixty three. 302 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 1: Disease quickly spread throughout the camp, killing hundreds. More treaties 303 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: were nullified, reservation land was seized, and nearly two thousand 304 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: Indigenous people were exiled in Dakota Territory in Nebraska. In 305 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty three, General Sibley led the final push to 306 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: expel any remaining Dakota from the state, and nearly one 307 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,239 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty people were taken prisoner. A group of 308 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: two hundred Yankton men, women and children, people who had 309 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: never participated in the war but had simply camped in 310 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: Dakota Territory were slaughtered. Governor Ramsay even declared a bounty 311 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: of twenty five dollars for every Dakota scalp. The news 312 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: quickly spread through newspapers, with some even publishing ads promoting 313 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: the increased state reward for dead Native Americans. Volunteers eagerly 314 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: answered the call, driving out and killing any Dakota they found. 315 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: It was an order that remained in effect for over 316 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: five years, and it was this government sponsored vigilante movement 317 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: that ultimately led to the death of Little Crow himself, 318 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: who was shot in the back for one of those 319 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,880 Speaker 1: cheap rewards. After that, his scalp was put on display 320 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: in the state capitol, an act of barber that sounds 321 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: more like something out of the thirteen sixties than the 322 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: eighteen sixties, and even worse, it remained there until nineteen 323 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: seventy one. I hope you've noticed by now that there's 324 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: more to the Wild West than cowboys on horseback, poker 325 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: games in whiskey soak saloons, and deadly shootouts at high noon. 326 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: But while stories of the conflict between indigenous peoples and 327 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: those who are out to steal their land are a 328 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 1: lot more painful to learn about, they are necessary pieces 329 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: of the larger picture. I hope today's journey through that 330 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: territory has helped you form a better understanding of the 331 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: nuance and the deeper sense of pain that conflict caused. 332 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: But we're not done just yet. Stick around through this 333 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: brief sponsor break to hear one more tragic tale at 334 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: the meeting place of two cultures, the Ponka tribes. 335 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 2: My history is a familiar tale of an indigenous community 336 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 2: struggle for survival and acknowledgment amidst a rapidly changing world. 337 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 2: The Ponca were a small tribe residing in northeastern Nebraska. 338 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 2: They were forced to sell their ancestral lands to the 339 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 2: United States government in the early eighteen hundreds in exchange 340 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 2: for a fifty eight thousand acre reserve between Ponca Creek 341 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 2: and the Neobrara River. Despite this land grant, the Ponka 342 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 2: lived in constant fear as attacks from La Cota bands 343 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: regularly occurred, and the United States government did very little 344 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:36,199 Speaker 2: to protect them. Their leader. Standing Baar was born between 345 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 2: eighteen twenty nine and eighteen thirty four and grew up 346 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 2: in an environment of unrelenting strife due to the United 347 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 2: States government's unfair treaties. In addition to the raids, a 348 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 2: smallpock epidemic swept in in the early eighteen hundreds and 349 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 2: decimated the tribe, forcing them into an agricultural lifestyle. The 350 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 2: Ponca faced further challenges in the eighteen fifties when white 351 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 2: settlers decided they actually did want their land and overran 352 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 2: the territory. They were pressured to sell their lands to 353 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,199 Speaker 2: the United States. Again. The land they were forced to 354 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 2: relocate to was unsuitable for farming and raising livestock, and 355 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 2: in eighteen sixty eight, the US government mistakenly included the 356 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 2: Punka's territory in a land agreement with the Lakota, which 357 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 2: again led to Lakota raiding on their lands. As a result, 358 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 2: the government decided to resolve the conflict by relocating the 359 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 2: Punkah to Indian territory in Oklahoma. Standing Baar was a 360 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 2: grown man at the time of the forced march and 361 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 2: was married to his wife's Zette, with whom he had 362 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:43,640 Speaker 2: two children, Prairie Flower and Bear Shield. In eighteen seventy six, 363 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 2: the Ponkas were informed that they would have to relocate, 364 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 2: and Standing Bear was among the ten chiefs who embarked 365 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 2: on a journey to find new land. They were not 366 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: impressed with what they saw. Unfortunately, the United States government 367 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: had already decided they didn't really care about the tribe's welfare, 368 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 2: and on April twelfth, eighteen seventy seven, an order was 369 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 2: issued to reforce their removal. The military escorted the Punkah 370 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,120 Speaker 2: on a grueling march to what they called the Hot Country. 371 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 2: Many people died during the journey, including Standing Bear's daughter, 372 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 2: Prairie Flower, and shortly after their arrival, his son Bear Shield. 373 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 2: According to Punka historians, Standing Behar was unwilling to bury 374 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 2: his son in Oklahoma. Along with a party of about 375 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 2: thirty people, he traveled some six hundred miles in the 376 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 2: middle of winter back to Nebraska and their ancestral lands 377 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 2: with his son's body, intent on burying him there. The 378 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 2: United States government did not allow indigenous peoples to leave 379 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,159 Speaker 2: Indian territory without their permission, and Standing Behar did not 380 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 2: have a pass. As a result, the Secretary of the 381 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 2: Interior Karl Schultz, ordered General George Crook to arrest Chief 382 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 2: Standing Bear and his companions and forced them back to 383 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 2: Indian territory. They were imprisoned at Fort Omaha Barracks. Although 384 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 2: General Crook had previously fought against Native Americans, he found 385 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 2: himself sympathetic to the Punka's situation. He went to the media, 386 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 2: which helped spread the story of Standing Bear and his 387 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 2: fellow prisoners nationwide. Two lawyers offered to represent them pro 388 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 2: bono and requested that a judge release the Punkah immediately. 389 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,400 Speaker 2: Judge Elmer Dundee, who had relevant experience, agreed to hear 390 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 2: the case presented by Standing Bear's attorneys John L. Webster 391 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 2: and Andrew L. Poppleton. After a tense hearing, the decision 392 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 2: was in Standing Bear's favor and was a significant turning 393 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 2: point for Native Americans in the United States. For the 394 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 2: very first time, the court recognized that Indigenous people were 395 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 2: actually people entitled to the same legal rights and protections 396 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 2: as any other citizen. This ruling was a significant victory 397 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 2: for Indigenous peoples who had been denied their rights and 398 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 2: and their humanity for so long. Standingbear's case had a 399 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 2: more extensive impact beyond the legal realm. It symbolized hope 400 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 2: and inspiration for Native Americans who fought for equality and recognition. 401 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 2: Standingbear's bravery and determination in the face of injustice inspired 402 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 2: generations of Indigenous people to stand up for their rights 403 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 2: and fight for their dignity. Indigenous people across the world 404 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 2: still face numerous challenges and obstacles. They continue to fight 405 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 2: for recognition, land rights, and respect for their cultures and traditions. 406 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 2: Standingbear's story is a testament to the resilience and strength 407 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 2: of Indigenous people. His legacy reminds us of the ongoing 408 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 2: struggle for justice and equality for all peoples. 409 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: Grim and Maud Presents The Wild West was executive produced 410 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: by me Aaron Manky and hosted by Aaron Mankey and 411 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: Alexandra Steed. Writing for this season was provided by Michelle Mudo, 412 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: with research by Alexandra Steed, Sam Alberty, Kasan Alba and 413 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: Harry Marks. Fact checking was performed by Jamie Vargas, with 414 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: sensitivity reading by Stacy Parshall Jensen. Production assistance was provided 415 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 1: by Josh Stain, Jesse Funk, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. 416 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: To learn more about this and other shows from Grim 417 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: and Mild and iHeartRadio visit Grimandmild dot com.