In my novel, Reclaiming Mni Sota, I’ve created an alternate history that has Dakota and Ojibwe forces join forces to defeat the US Army. In reality, we know that’s not what happened. But was that a possibility? Read this blog post to find out.
Henry Hastings Sibley is one of the most prolific figures in the history of Minnesota. He arrived in Minnesota in 1834 as the regional manager of the American Fur Company’s “Sioux Outfit.” While living at Mendota, he established ties with local Dakota and voyageur communities and quickly grew to be one of the most…
In 1837 the Dakota people signed a treaty ceding their lands on the east side of the Mississippi River. Before this treaty was even ratified, individual traders, mostly whiskey sellers, began staking claims along the east side of the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling and Mendota. One such claim was made by a Canadian…
August 18th marks the anniversary of an important, but often overlooked, conflict between Mdewakanton Dakota and United States settlers. The result was the largest mass execution in United States history. Many Minnesotans are unfamiliar with a war that took place right here within their state. But this war was actually an important watershed…