I would wish that we could all live together in a good way

Ms. Merrick talks about her hopes for the future of the Dakota people.

Audio Chapters

DL: If you had a magic wand, what would you wish for Dakota people now?

CM: What would I wish for? We can’t go back to living the old way; not in this day and age, but I would wish that we could all live together in a good way, and also to find out where we originally came from so I can…. I’ve only gotten to know some of my relatives in Spirit Lake. I lived in Northern Alberta for 17 years, so a good part of my life was away from here. And it was only after my dad passed away that I started, you know, my relatives and I would like to know where we originally came from. I don’t know that. I found my great-grandmother a couple of years ago, and that was very emotional because I only- her name was very, it sounds very derogatory when you think about it, to me it was anyway. She was called The Big Sioux Woman, here in Canada. And when I went back and did some research I found her, and her name was really Red Bird Woman, and that was very emotional, but at the same time very honored to have really found out who my grandma was.

Oral History- Interview | Narrator Carol Merrick Interviewer Deborah Locke in Dakota Tipi First Nation Manitoba, Canada | Thursday, January 19, 2012

Citation: Minnesota Historical Society. U.S. - Dakota War of 1862. I would wish that we could all live together in a good way March 28, 2024. http://www.usdakotawar.org/node/1485

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