At 10:00 Thursday at the site of the largest mass execution in United States' history in downtown Mankato, riders who have traveled from Lower Brule, South Dakota, will gather to remember the 38 Dakota men hanged after the 1862 United States-Dakota War.
KEYC-TV reports in Dakota 38 Participants Ride Horseback For Honor that this year's ride is to honor Dakota women:
[Ride Staffkeeper Peter] Lengkeek says "Long ago, when we were exiled from hereby order of the government, there was mostly women and children left and they're the ones that survived that journey. Its because of the women is why we're here now."
The riders stopped in the Marshall area and the Marshall Independent reported in SMSU hosts Dakota Riders:
Southwest Minnesota State University hosted riders from the Dakota nations on the ninth annual journey of healing and reconciliation on Thursday night. After dinner there was a viewing of the 2008 documentary on the history of the ride.
In 2005, Jim Miller had a dream of 38 riders traveling across the plains beckoning him to join them. Researching the history of the Sioux War of 1862, he came to believe his vision was calling him on a sacred quest to ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota, 340 miles to Mankato, where on Dec. 26, 1862, 38 Dakota Sioux were hanged after the end of the war.
Two more Dakota who escaped to Canada were later returned to the U.S. and hanged. . . .
Here's a Youtube of the documentary. It's 78 minutes long, but worth watching.
Photo: The riders, via KEYC-TV.
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I am thankful for those who keep this memory alive. In school I was never taught this chapter. Now tell us about the moving of treaty payments to help some white traders. That ended up with many many frozen to death. Sometimes I fear Indian attitudes are very logical.
Posted by: Dave Houg | Dec 26, 2013 at 12:36 PM