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Collection of Memories
Dakota
1795 –
2007
Collection of Memories
By Elaine Wakaksan Matlow
January 2007
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Part One of Three
Before
Leonard Peltier was born…
1795: The time was late October 1795. About 20 tents of the Sisiton
Dakota were camped. They were busy preparing for the winter. The men were
hunting, and the women were gathering roots. Into this scene came Henri LaRoque
to trade for furs these people had harvested. He unfortunately had two kegs of
whiskey, which he would use to get the men into a trading mood. As he was a
shrewd trader he gave one of the kegs away to the men. Once they had tasted the
“mysterious water” (miniwakan) they wanted more and he brought out the second keg.
Now they must trade for furs to get more of the evil liquid. No doubt being in
a happy mood they traded their furs cheaply. – L. Garcia
As the men became more intoxicated (witkoko) they began to argue
and kill each other. When morning dawned ten of their number lay dead. LaRoque
made a quick exit. They picked up their dead and removed to
Word reached LaRoque that he was a marked man. His business was
in trouble as well as his safety. He knew the Dakota mind and immediately
loaded his boat with trade goods and traveled to
They were known as ‘southern Sisseton’ because they ranged south
of Northern Sisseton who lived about
Thunderface or Itewakinyan, Chief of the Five Lodges. Signer of
the 1851 Traverse des Sioux Treaty. He died in 1857. He was known as the
Limping Devil because of a leg wound received from the Sac and Fox circa 1832,
and his contrary disposition. Every early traveler to
– L. Garcia
“Limping Devil” is a name of Euro-American language origins. The
word “devil” is not found in the Dakota language. Reasonably, the Dakota would
not use the word “devil” to describe a person, place or thing simply because it
does not exist in their language. The sound of thunder commands respect and is
represented by the sacred Thunderbird. Hence, Thunderface is a wakan or sacred
name.
http://www.hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.Thunderbirds.html
Tateahnahiyayewin (Coming on Top of a Cloud) The sister of
Thunderface; Mother of Hunkawin aka Anna Jetty. (Garcia)
1812: The war of 1812, called “When the Redhead Begged for Our Help”
refereed to Robert Dickson asking the Dakota to fight beside the British once
again. In 1768, the Dakota pledged that they would have nothing to do with the
Americans. They were allies of the British in the Revolutionary War and refused
to transfer their allegiance to the Americans after the defeat of the British. (Elias 8) The
Cree word “Kimosopuatinhak” refers to the “Home of the Ancient Dakota” located
in
“The Dakota of the
Canadian Northwest: Lessons For Survival” By Peter D. Elias.
http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/ecp/content/aboriginals_siouans.html
1837: (Frenchman) Jetty, Frank or Saste (Pinky Finger) or Francois
Jette, aka Shetais. Born June or July 1837 in
1837: Jetty, Anna or Hunka (Honored One) SWS # 946, 1837 – 1921.
Father: Ptewakannajin, Mother: Tateahnahiyayewin. Married Frank Jetty by Indian custom at age
16. She had two children by him: Winona or Josephine (Mrs. August Frenier) and
Frank Stay Jr. (Ptewakannajin) circa 1859. She later married William Siyaka
(Diver Duck) with whom she had six children; Charles, Susan (Mrs. Moses St.
John), Moses Williams (Siyo = Prairie Chicken), Helen (Mrs. Supangi [Artichoke
Seed]), and two who died in infancy. – L. Garcia
1841: Holy Standing Cow or Ptewakannajin: father to Solomon Redfox. His blood
siblings are Sacred Visible Voice, and Hunkawin aka Anna Jetty. White Dog is a
half- brother. Tradition says he was married seven times. He was a guide to
Reverend Riggs to the Missouri River in 1841. Riggs says he was a nephew to
Thunderface. Redfox or Solomon Sunginaduta, DLS # 65, 1863 – 1942. The son of
Holy Standing Cow, and Tateahnahiyayewin. Hunkawin aka Anna Jetty was
the oldest child and Solomon was the youngest. – L. Garcia
1842: White Dog or Sunkaska, DLS # 280, 1842 – 1930. White Dog was a
scout for the Sibley Expedition of 1863. White Dog, Desired Woman, and White
Woman are siblings of Matowakan. – L. Garcia
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http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.WhiteWolf.html
http://www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/stories.htm
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“Sioux Dog Feast” by
George Catlin
http://catlinclassroom.si.edu/catlin_browsepagetribe.cfm?StartRow=201
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=george+catlin&btnG=Search+Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=george+catlin+sioux&btnG=Search&svnum=10&hl=en
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/catlin.htm
Black Elk Speaks Chapter 15 & 16 http://blackelkspeaks.unl.edu/index2.htm
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“Sioux Indians by Seth Eastman – 1850”
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Sioux+Indians+by+Seth+Eastman+1850&btnG=Search
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1851:
“Treaty of Traverse des Sioux”
List of Treaty Signers
Een-yang-ma-nee,
(“Running
Wee-tchan-h' pee-ee-tay-toan, (“the Star face” or the “Orphan”)
Ee-tay-wa-keen-yan (“Thunder Face”)
Eesh-ta-hum-ba, (“Sleepy Eyes”)
Oo-pee-ya-hen-day-a, (“Extending his train”)
Hoak-shee-dan-wash-tay, (“Good Boy”)
Ee-tay-tcho-ka, (“Face in the midst”)
Hay-ha-hen-day-ma-za, (“Metal Horn”)
Am-pay-too-sha, (“Red Day”)
Eesh-ta-humba-koash-ka, (“Sleepy Eyes – young”)
A na-wang-ma-nee, (“Who goes galloping on”)
Ma-h'pee-wee-tchash-ta, (“Cloud man”)
Tan-pa-hee-da, (“Sounding Moccasin”)
Eenk-pa, (“the upper end”)
Wee-yoa-kee-yay, (“Standard”)
Wa-kan-man-nee, (“Walking Spirit”)
Ee-tay-sha, (“the one that reddens his face”)
Ta-ka-ghay, (“Elk maker”)
Wa-ma-ksoon-tay, (“Walnut” or “Blunt headed arrow”)
Ma-za-sh'a, (“Metal Sounding”)
Ya-shoa-pee, (“The wind instrument”)
Noan-pa keen-yan, (“Twice Flying”)
Wash-tay-da, (“Good, a little”)
Wa-keen-yan-ho-ta, (“Grey Thunder”)
Wa-shee-tchoon-ma-za, (“Iron French man”,)
Ta-pe-ta-tan-ka, (“His Big fire”)
Ma-h'pee-ya-h'na-shkan-shkan, (“Moving Cloud”)
Wa-na-pay-a, (“The pursuer”)
Ee-tcha-shkan-shkan-ma-nee, (“Who walks shaking”)
Ta-wa-kan-he-day-ma-za (“His Metal Lightning”)
Ee-tay doo-ta, (“Red Face”)
Henok-marpi-yahdi-nape, (“Reappearing Cloud”)
Tchan-hedaysh-ka-ho-toan-ma-nee, (“the moving sounding Harp”)
Ma-zaku-te-ma-ni, (“Metal walks shooting”)
A-kee-tchee-ta, (“Standing Soldier”)
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/Vol2/treaties/sio0588.htm
TREATY WITH THE SIOUX, SISSETON AND WAHPETON BANDS
10 Stat. 949, July 23, 1851, Proclaimed February 24, 1853.
http://www.utulsa.edu/law/classes/rice/Treaties/10_Stat_0949_Sioux.htm
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Article Six of the United States
Constitution
“all Treaties
made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States,
shall be the
supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution
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http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=traverse+des+sioux
Francis
D. Millet, The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, July 1851 - Because the Dakota
received only the interest, they never got the full cash benefit of the treaty.
The land ceded by the Dakota for about 7.5 cents an acre was resold to settlers
at $1.25 per acre--more than 15 times what the
Smoking the sacred pipe sealed the treaty agreement; making the
treaty holy and binding.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Peace_pipe.jpg
1851: "You have come with the words of our Great Father, and
have put them in this paper, but the Indians are afraid it may be changed
hereafter. I say this in good feeling. Perhaps you think many of these things
will be altered at Washington yourselves! You have been asked a great many
questions; and have answered 'yes' to them. If all prove true as you say, it
will be very good indeed. But when we were at Washington, the chiefs were told
many things; which when we came back here, and attempted to carry out, we found
could not be done. At the end of three or four years, the Indians found out
very different from what they had been told; and all were ashamed."
~Wacouta (Foremost Talker), 1851.
http://www.mnhs.org/places/historycenter/exhibits/territory/
1851 Inkpaduta: “Inkpaduta was left out
of the treaty negotiations in 1851 that transferred the land in northwestern
Iowa to the United States, Inkpaduta refused to recognize the treaty
restrictions. In 1852, when the new chief (Inkpaduta’s older brother) and 9 of
his family were axed to death by a drunken white whiskey trader, Inkpaduta
assumed the role. He informed the U.S. Army of the murder, but to his anger,
very little was done to bring the killer, Henry Lott, to justice, and the local
prosecuting attorney nailed the dead chief’s head to a pole over his house.”
1857: Inkpaduta did not sign or commit himself to the “1851 - Treaty
of Mendota”, nor did he receive treaty annuities. He did not smoke the sacred
pipe that would bind him to the treaty agreements. In 1857, Inkpaduta avenged
the spilling of innocent blood in the rapes and murders of his family with an
ax by Henry Lott. Insult was added to injury when his brother’s head was hung
upon a pole over the house of the local prosecuting attorney, who failed to
punish the murderer. The United States
Army failed to punish Henry Lott and would not bring the murderer to justice
when Inkpaduta brought the murders to their attention. Inkpaduta went to the
appropriate authorities to seek justice. Justice was not to be found. Avenging
the murders of his family became known as the “Spirit Lake Massacre”. Inkpaduta participated in the “Battle of the
Little Big Horn” in 1876 and accompanied Sitting Bull to Canada in 1877. He
died in Manitoba in 1881.