Paul or kow farmer o/t

This is the 150 year anniversary of the Dakota conflict. I know there are a few commemorative events going on in New Ulm and Milford township. Are you guys involved in any of them or do you have a direct connection to any of the people? I am fascinated by Minnesota history of which that is a big part. I am ashamed of the reasons that conflict came about. What are your thoughts? Any other Mn. residents care to chime in?

Sherman Alexie presented an hour and a half talk last weekend. (author of-- The absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian) He was funny and important in many ways regarding the NA in North America. There are many features to the story, all of them important. What Non NA people "owe" the Indians is respect. Jim

> Any other Mn. residents care to chime in?

I don't think there's much to be proud of anywhere you look when it comes to the European colonization. Lots of deceit and unlawful killing on the settlers part. Not far from my house is an old marble monument to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Axe_Massacre">Battle of Bad Axe</a> where women and children trying to swim across the river to safety were gunned down by steamboat. They were not allowed to surrender.

(quoted from post at 21:30:49 03/01/12) &gt; Any other Mn. residents care to chime in?

I don't think there's much to be proud of anywhere you look when it comes to the European colonization. Lots of deceit and unlawful killing on the settlers part. Not far from my house is an old marble monument to the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Axe_Massacre"&gt;Battle of Bad Axe&lt;/a&gt; where women and children trying to swim across the river to safety were gunned down by steamboat. They were not allowed to surrender.

Click to expand...

Thing of it is that in the day the shooting of an native wasn't considered illegal. I think the law in ND allowing someone to shoot and kill Indians if two or more are following a covered wagon is still on the books. Custer for all his fame and glory is alleged to have recommended a soldier for the Medal Of Honor for continuing to fire a Hodge-kiss gun into a ravine with only women and children in it after a dawn attack on an Indian village designed to kill native Americans in line with official government policy at the time.

Rick

I'm not involved in current events. Read the stories in the paper tho, and interested in the history of it all.

Part of the Indian attack more or less came accross the lands my mom's side of the family lived on. Tho it was a bit more friendly that direction, only got tense & hostile when closer to New Ulm.

I'm not proud of the way the US govt and so forth treated Indians. For sure.

On the other hand, my mom's family and their neighbors were just farmers, bought their land and carved out a hard life and didn't go out of their way to be a trouble to the Indians.

From that perspective.... I guess the Indians weren't treated well, but the Indians turned around and attacked people that weren't the one's treating them badly. Don't see where 2 wrongs makes it right either then.

Took a tour of the New Ulm cemetary a couple years ago. Amazing history back in the old part, stone tree trunks for headstones, lots of symbolism in the adornments, etc.

Anyhow, we stood by some small round cement dots in the ground, and it was old graves that had been located or documented. People that died in disease outbreaks, would be 5 kids from the same family all burried in the same month, etc. Also the graves of those killed in the Dakota Conflict. They said the mass funeral for those killed was held one day, and _that same day_ the train went through New Ulm with the Indians on it headed for Mankato. The RR tracks are one border of the cemetary.... Imagine you're farming or a town person doing your thing, living your life as best you can, and you get attacked out of the blue. Then as you're burrying your loved ones the people blamed for attacking you are shipped past the cemetary....

Lot of plaques around New Ulm and Milford township telling of a battle or how things were fortressed.

I sure understand how the Indians were mistreated & provoked into rebelling. For sure.

The folks they chose to attack were mostly not involved in any of that, so sure doesn't seem like they did the right thing either.

Like most disagreements, complex issues and ends up everyone is hurt or wrong, no winners.

The people of New Ulm and west didn't deserve being attacked either.

There is a rumor - and it has pretty much been proven to be only rumor but makes a nice story in the family tree book - that I would be 128th Indian or some such. Not true, but a good story.

--->Paul

Hey Flying Belgian,
I don't do anything with the events either. I live in Nicollet county, about 10 miles NNE of New Ulm, I actually live about 3 miles from paul's farm. I have a brother whose in laws are from Milford township, but I don't know if they participate in any events either.
Kow Farmer

This uprising is nothing to be proud of, but we can't change history. I do find it interesting. As far as family ties, the "Rice Creek Falls" area where Little Crow met with other bands to decide on war became family land after the fact. I have an imaige in my mind about bands of indians camped out there, it must have been a beautiful area, small creek, waterfall with a pool below, meadow setting, now , I suppose it is overgrown with buckthorn now.

The other area of significant action was in Meeker County- near Litchfield, specifically Acton Twp. There is a marker there, and I think also by Manannah. Fort at Forest City was thrown up in several days time for protection from the indians. Was rebuilt for the bicenntennial. Settlers got tricked in a marksmanship contest. Check out the book by State Rep Dean Urdahl- I think it is called "Uprising".