The Tragedy of Minnesota

Before we get to the eggs, we have to clarify names. We refer to modern Minnesota as the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes.' Not surprisingly, the Dakota had a similar notion, referring to this area as Minisota Makoce, meaning 'Land where the Waters Reflect the Skies.'

There are numerous tribes within the Dakota family with names like Mdewakanton. Suffice to say that 'Indian,' 'red-man' and 'Sioux' are not the proper names for the people of this culture. However, when digging into historical accounts, these are the names used by all manner of record.

The Dakota also had names for the Europeans they encountered: 'Wasicu' or 'white invaders.' The immigrants to this New World preferred 'white settlers' although writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries often used the name 'pale-face.' Then, of course, we have the name for the clash that ensued between these two cultures.

'Little Crow's Uprising' is the most erroneous of names for Little Crow was a great orator and leader who sought peace and payment, not war. On August 17, 1862 he attended church and worked on the foundation for the new brick home he was building; hardly the activities of a heathen villain. 'Indian Uprising' and 'Great Sioux War' are other common names, but ones that deny the Dakota their identity. 'U.S.-Dakota War' reflects the idea of the clash being a part of a longer colonization process from the Dakota perspective. A good middle ground is to go with the name: Dakota Conflict of 1862.

Back to the eggs. On a hot, muggy day near Acton, MN four Dakota youth argued over stealing eggs from a farm. They had just begged for food and were denied. Hungry, frustrated and armed with rifles they took to harassing the men at the farm. The settlers were the first to unload their weapons. When out of ammunition, the youth shot back killing everybody at the farm. This story has been told many times, many ways. Some accounts tell of how the Scandinavian settlers were of a thrifty nature and did not share with their Indian neighbors. Other accounts relate how the Dakota were not very pleasant or agreeable and expected to be accommodated despite the settlers' meager means.

While the single incident was hardly an excuse for either side to wage war, it was an incident that fueled fears, misconceptions and injustices on both sides. The murder grew into a massacre. Within days New Ulm and homesteaders in the Minnesota Valley found themselves under attack. Numbers vary, but it is commonly held that 800 soldiers and settlers died in the conflict that took place over 6 weeks. However, many contended that thousands upon thousands were killed. Even Governor Sibley (governor of the time) grossly exaggerated to Congress, claiming that all of the white women captured were raped. Congress ultimately found evidence and testimony to two such cases. Not to underscore the loss of lives or the terror many felt, these overstated numbers and accounts only created more division and justified the eventual expulsion of Dakota from their homeland.

Little Crow has been vilified over the years and met with a tragic end of his own. If anyone ever voiced reason and attempted to cooperate with the US government, it was this man. Dignified in every sense of the word, Little Crow earned leadership through his powers of persuasive speech. When the murders occurred over the egg argument, Little Crow acted swiftly to avoid more bloodshed. But the tipping point was past. Younger Dakota, frustrated by their plight, and older Dakota feeling hopeless worked themselves into a frenzy. In part, they were terrified of the reprisal they knew would come. Little Crow tried to reason that they should hand over the four youth and work with the authorities. He was a lone voice of reason.

Settlers also worked themselves into a frenzy. This was exactly what they feared would happen. Many of the communities had already given up young men to the cause of liberty, sending their sons and brothers to fight in the Civil War. Married men and their families remained. The state of Minnesota would have to rally its own defense because of the war in the south. The timing of the fear and frenzy was bad. The remaining days of August were cast beneath the black smoke of burning farmsteads and news of massacred families created a mass prairie exodus to St. Peter and Fort Ridgley. New Ulm was attacked before any of the townspeople could flee. Men from neighboring towns rushed to the town's aid. By August 24 all that stood of New Ulm was August Schell's brewery, tucked away in a cottonwood canyon.

Several battles ensued, including Birch Coulee. You can walk the battleground today and see the fox holes that Minnesota soldiers hunkered down in while fighting a clever opponent who better understood the typography. The Dakota had a slight advantage of view and recounts of the battle are thrilling. By early September, though, the Dakota warriors were dispersed out of the state and the remaining reservation, women and children included, were driven en masse to Fort Snelling near St. Paul. Incredible accounts and a one-sided trial ensued. By November 4 over 400 Dakota were sentenced to death. However, the US Congress reviewed all the trial records and commuted most sentences. On December 24, 38 Dakota were hung in Mankato-the largest mass execution in US history.

If eggs played a sad role in the tragic events of 1862, then raspberries must be mentioned, too. On July 3, 1863 Little Crow was shot while picking raspberries with his grandson. With little dignity his body was sorely abused for days by the white citizens of Hutchinson, MN. An modern elder for the Dakota has said that his people suffer from a genetic PTSD that is passed down from generation to generation because of the want for eggs. He also recognizes that the surviving descendants of the massacres must suffer to. It is time to heal the tragedy of Minnesota with an accurate narrative that shows the humanity of both sides during a horrific crisis.