The Dakota War of 1862 was a tragedy for both the white settlers on Minnesota's frontier and the Dakota Indians. This book, through a series of essays, centers on the beginning of the post-war exile of the Dakota people from Minnesota. The authors have compiled an intriguing and objective look at aspects that have never before been thoroughly explored or published.
Interest in the topic sprang from the biennial Commemorative Marches sponsored by members of the Dakota community, the sesquicentennial of Minnesota's statehood and the coming sesquicentennial of the Dakota War itself. The painful and complex series of events unfolded from the defeat of Chief Little Crow's forces at Wood Lake through the military excort of the prisoners to South Bend near Mankato and the families to Fort Snelling. The public outcry to rid the state of the Indians put the Dakota people at risk, and plots of local mobs to massacre them were covered up at the highest level of the state government.
This book looks at the preparations and actions taken by General Sibley's army, the two distinct routes it used to escort the Indians (including evidence of the actual route taken by the families), the political climate, details of the plots, how the narratives have evolved over the years, and insight into the plight of individual Dakota families. In short, it illuminates the human tragedy of the story: the seeming inability of people on either side to respect their common humanity.
