The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Dakota Indians Remember War Executions-- Part 2

Back in December, some Dakota are made a 300-mile trip on horseback in really cold temperatures to revive the memory of the incident.  This annual trek began back in 2005.

Said Sheldon Wolfchild: "It was just a terrible trauma that they had to endure, and we continue to endure this generational trauma to this very day."  The ride began Dec. 10 in Crow Creek, S.D., the reservation to which the Dakota were exiled (during the winter) after the hangings.  It ended Dec. 26th with a ceremony to remember the hangings.

Some ride the entire route and others join as different points.  Support vehicles follow them.  Gaby Strong lives in Morton, Minnesota, near the site of a key 1862 battle in the U.S.-Dakota war, said the ride helps develop bonds between the Dakota Sioux, especially the young.

One of the riders is 18-year-old Vanessa Goodthunder who is majoring in American Indian studies and history at the University of Minnesota.

A Sad, Almost-Forgotten Event.  --Old Secesh

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