Chibli and Chutot said the Dakota owed them a lot of money. And they saw the treaties as a way to get paid. The treaty did provide $305,000 in cash right away. Most of it was so the Dakota could quote unquote, settle their affairs.
Growing up in Mankato, Minnesota, John Biewen heard next to nothing about the town’s most important historical event. In 1862, Mankato was the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history – the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors – following one of the major wars between Plains Indians and settlers. In this documentary, originally produced for This American Life, John goes back to Minnesota to explore what happened, and why Minnesotans didn’t talk about it afterwards.
Image: The Minnesota State Seal, 1858
Key sources for this episode:
Gwen Westerman, Mni Sota MakoceMary Wingerd, North Country: The Making of Minnesota