Shakopee or Chief Shakopee (
Dakota language
Dakota (''Dakhótiyapi, Dakȟótiyapi''), also referred to as Dakhota, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Sioux tribes. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language. It is critically endan ...
: , ') may refer to one of at least three
Mdewakanton Dakota
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W ...
leaders who lived in the area that became
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
from the late 18th century through 1865. The name comes from the Dakota ''Śakpe'' meaning "Six." According to tribal histories, the very first "Shakpe" was called that because he was the sixth child of a set of
sextuplets
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...
.
Shakopee Lake near
Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake (also called Lake Mille Lacs or Mille Lacs) is a large but shallow lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing, roughly 75 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul m ...
was named after one of the early Dakota chiefs named Shakpe. The city of
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
was named after Chief Shakopee II when it was first founded in 1851.
The
Little Six Casino operated by the
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
is named after Chief Shakopee III.
Before Shakopee I
Historian
Doane Robinson mentioned an
Ojibwe (Chippewa) attack "at the village of old Shakopee, the father of the Shakopee of 1812" which occurred in 1769, about one year after the Battle at Crow Wing.
Shakopee I
The chief usually referred to today as Shakopee I was known to American explorers and
Indian agents as the third-highest ranking leader of the
Mdewakanton Dakota
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W ...
, after Chief
Wabasha II and Chief Little Crow I.
He had the largest village on the
Minnesota River, located in the 1820s on the river's north bank.
According to a popular narrative by Charlotte Van Cleve, Shakopee (or Old Shakopee's son, "Little Six") was executed in 1827 while running a gauntlet at
Fort Snelling, as punishment for an attack on the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
. However, Van Cleve was eight years old at the time, and her version of events has not been confirmed by historians, nor by other eyewitness accounts.
Relations with Americans and British
Council with Pike
Chief Shakopee was one of the seven Dakota who attended a council with U.S. Lieutenant
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions under authority of President Thomas Jefferson ...
on September 23, 1805. Pike, whose written French was full of errors, referred to Shakopee in his journal as "Le Demi Douzen." Shakopee, however, did not end up signing the
Treaty of St. Peters, which granted the United States approximately 100,000 acres of land at the mouth of the
Minnesota River, for the purposes of building a fort. Historian Gary Clayton Anderson suggests that the two chiefs who did sign the treaty, Little Crow I and Penichon, probably had the best claims to the land which would later form the
Fort Snelling military reservation.
Relations with O'Fallon
In 1816, American treaty commissioners met with nearly ten eastern Sioux chiefs and headmen in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
to negotiate peace following the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
and to reaffirm the terms of Pike's 1805 treaty. However, Shakopee's name does not appear as a signatory to the 1816 treaty, which was signed instead by Mdewakanton chiefs such as
Tatankamani (Red Wing II), Bad Hail and Penichon.
In the fall of 1817, Chief Shakopee went to
Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...
to meet with U.S.
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government.
Background
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
Benjamin O'Fallon. O'Fallon reported that Shakopee expressed strong friendship for the
American people. He quoted Shakopee as saying, "Bad Birds",
eaning the British "have attempted to whisper in my ears. They told me to turn my back upon the smooth face chief
'Fallon"
According to O'Fallon, Shakopee said that he would reject the advice of the British, and invited him to visit his village the following year with presents and to "drag from among them" the British who were corrupting his young men.
Forsyth expedition
In 1819, Major Thomas Forsyth was sent by the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
to visit the Sioux Indians to distribute approximately US$2,000 worth of goods as payment for lands ceded to the U.S. in the 1805 treaty signed with Pike (also known as "
Pike's Purchase").
Forsyth, who was generally unimpressed with the
upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, at the confluence of its main tributary, the Missouri River.
History
In terms of geologic and hydrographic history, the Upper ...
valley, was highly critical of most of the Dakota he met during his expedition.
On July 26, 1819, while recovering from illness, he met with Chief Shakopee and two other leaders at the mouth of the
St. Peter's (Minnesota River). He reported feeling offended by Shakopee's aggressiveness.
In a journal entry dated July 26, Forsyth wrote:
Yesterday evening three chiefs arrived with many followers, viz: The Six, whose village is thirty miles up the river St. Peter's; the Arrow, twenty-four miles still higher, and the Killiew (thus named from a species of eagle) whose village is six miles still higher. They wished to go about business immediately; but it was too late. This morning we met and had some talk, but I by no means liked the countenance of Mr. Six, nor did I like his talk; I gave them the remainder of my goods, yet the Six wanted more. Not having any more, they had to do without. I found on enquiring that Mr. Six is a good-for-nothing fellow, and rather gives bad counsel to his young men than otherwise. In all my talks with those Indians, I generally told them the same I told the Leaf abasha and in all cases I had to give each band a little whisky. These are the last Indians I am to see in this quarter; therefore, I am done with the Sioux for this year.
Second Long expedition
In 1823, Major
Stephen Harriman Long
Stephen Harriman Long (December 30, 1784 – September 4, 1864) was an American army civil engineer, explorer, and inventor. As an inventor, he is noted for his developments in the design of steam locomotives. He was also one of the most pro ...
returned to the
Minnesota River on a scientific expedition, together with geologist
William H. Keating
William Hypolitus (or Hippolitus, or Hypolite) Keating (August 11, 1799 in Wilmington, Delaware – 1840 in London, England) was an American geologist. His father, Baron John Keating, of Irish ancestry, had been an officer in the French army in t ...
, naturalist
Thomas Say
Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American entomologist, conchologist, and herpetologist. His studies of insects and shells, numerous contributions to scientific journals, and scientific expeditions to Florida, Georgia, the R ...
, and topographer James Edward Calhoun. Long arrived at "the village of the Six" on July 10, and found that most of the Dakota who lived there were away on a hunting expedition. At this time, he reported that Shakopee's village was on the north side of the Minnesota River. The village would later move to the south side of the river, to where present-day
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
is today.
William H. Keating, who accompanied Long on the expedition but traveled in a separate boat, referred to Shakopee's band as "Taoapa," and wrote:
The chief of this part is called Shakpa, which means six. He inherited his station, and is a distinguished man, ranking in the nation third only to Wapasha and Petit Corbeau. He has but one village; it is situated on the St. Peter, between which river and the Mississippi he hunts.
1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien
On August 19, 1825, Chief Shakopee signed the
1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien as "Sha-co-pe (the Sixth)" under the section marked "Sioux."
The chiefs and headmen from tribes including the
Dakota Sioux, the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
, the
Sauk and
Meskwaki (Fox), the
Menomonee, the
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
, the
Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), and the
Odawa gathered at
Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...
. The United States treaty commissioners were Governor
William Clark
William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...
of
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southea ...
and Governor
Lewis Cass of
Michigan Territory.
After lengthy negotiations, the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes finally agreed to define rather complicated boundary lines between their tribes. They also agreed in principle to maintain "a firm and perpetual peace between the Sioux and Chippewas."
Chief Shakopee was among the Dakota representatives who spoke at the council in support of a general feeling of fellowship with the other tribes, along with Chief
Wabasha II, Chief Little Crow I, and
Tatankamani (Red Wing II).
However, the treaty failed to achieve its goal of establishing a lasting intertribal peace. Within months, it became clear that neither the Dakota nor the Ojibwe were willing to be governed by the boundaries established in the treaty, and the tribes quickly reverted back to their previous pattern of hostilities.
Running the gauntlet at Fort Snelling
On May 27, 1827, several Mdewakanton and Wahpeton warriors fired into an Ojibwe encampment that had been set up just below the walls of
Fort Snelling,
killing two including one young girl, and severely wounding at least six others.
The incident occurred shortly after a day of peaceful trading between the Ojibwe and the Dakota Sioux.
The Ojibwe warrior Strong Earth demanded justice from Colonel
Josiah Snelling
Colonel Josiah Snelling (1782 – 20 August 1828) was the first commander of Fort Snelling, a fort located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in Minnesota. He was responsible for the initial design and construction of the fo ...
. Furious, Snelling sent out two companies the next morning which quickly rounded up a dozen Dakota. He then threatened to hang the men unless the guilty warriors were handed over within three days.
A total of four men were handed over to Snelling, including two warriors from Shakopee's band, and two Wahpetons from the Little Rapids of the
Minnesota River. Snelling turned the men over to the Ojibwe, who told them to run for their lives before executing them.
Uncorroborated account of execution
Charlotte Van Cleve, the daughter of Major Nathan Clark, was eight years old at the time of the execution at Fort Snelling. According to her memoirs published in 1888, a total of five men were executed in punishment for the murders. Van Cleve names "Little Six" as one of the men executed, but this is not confirmed by any of the other eyewitness accounts, nor by historians.
Historian
Doane Robinson suggested it was possible that "Little Six, a son of Old Shakopee's," was among the warriors who fired on the encampment, but stopped short of confirming that he was executed.
In her vivid account of the execution, Charlotte Van Cleve recalls "Little Six" fondly and describes how bravely he
ran a gauntlet manned by the Chippewa as part of his punishment:
[ ] And then the last, "Little Six," whom, at a distance, we children readily recognize from his commanding height and graceful form; he is our friend, and we hope he will get home. He starts; they fire; the smoke clears away, and still he is running. We clap our hands and say, "He will get home!" but, another volley, and our favorite, almost at the goal, springs into the air and comes down—dead! I cover my face, and shed tears of real sorrow for our friend... We talk with quivering lips and tearful eyes of "Little Six," and the many kind things he has done for us—the bows and arrows, the mocauks of sugar, the pretty beaded moccasins he has given us; and we wish, oh! we wish he could have run faster, or that the Chippewa rifles had missed fire. And we sleep and dream of scalps, and rifles, and war-whoops, and frightful yells, and wake wishing it had all been a dream.
William J. Snelling, son of Colonel
Josiah Snelling
Colonel Josiah Snelling (1782 – 20 August 1828) was the first commander of Fort Snelling, a fort located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in Minnesota. He was responsible for the initial design and construction of the fo ...
, was 23 years old at the time of the execution. His first-person account of the execution names only Tooponca Zeze, a member of Shakopee's band, as one of the four men executed. According to Snelling, Tooponca Zeze had been brought in by an old man named Eagle Head, a highly influential man who was not a chief.
Shakopee II
![Chief Shakopee II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Chief_Shakopee_II.png)
Shakopee II (d. 1860) was a
Mdewakanton Dakota
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W ...
chief who was known as "The Orator of the Sioux." He was described by Reverend Samuel W. Pond of the First Presbyterian Church of
Shakopee
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
as "a man of marked ability in council and one of the ablest and most effective orators in the whole Dakota Nation."
He was also called "Little Six" during his lifetime.
The city of
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
was named after Chief Shakopee II when it was first founded in 1851.
Relationship with missionaries
In 1846, Chief Shakopee II invited missionary
Samuel Pond to move to his village, Tintonwan, near present-day
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
.
Shakopee asked Pond to open a school and mission on the recommendation of Oliver Faribault, the "mixed-blood" son of trader
Jean-Baptiste Faribault
Jean-Baptiste Faribault (October 19, 1775 – August 20, 1860) was a trader with the Indians and early settler in Minnesota.
His father, Barthélemy Faribault, a lawyer of Paris, France, settled in Canada towards the middle of the 18th c ...
.
Shakopee promised that children from his village would attend the school, and that Pond would be provided with pasture and fuel. Pond finally consented and built a house at what he called "Prairieville" in 1847, and lived there until he died in 1891.
Pond went on to found the oldest church in Shakopee, the First Presbyterian Church, in 1855.
Although Pond held "Shakpay" in high regard for his oratorical skills, he also described as an enigmatic man who was "at the same time admired and despised by all who knew him."
As a speaker in council he had no equal among his contemporary chiefs. But while the advice he gave was generally good, the example set by him was often pernicious. He was of a nervous, excitable temperament... He was not remarkably malicious or revengeful and was easily reconciled to those who had offended him. At times he seemed magnanimous, and some of his speeches contained sage counsel and noble sentiments; but falsehood and truth were both alike to him, and he was often detected in the commission of petty thefts...
At the same time, Samuel Pond suggested that Chief Shakopee II could have prevented the initial attacks in the Dakota uprising of 1862, if he had been alive,
a view that was also expressed separately by Chief
Big Eagle
Big Eagle ( Dakota: Waŋbdí Táŋka, c.1827–1906) was the chief of a band of Mdewakanton Dakota in Minnesota. He played an important role as a military leader in the Dakota War of 1862. Big Eagle surrendered soon after the Battle of Wood La ...
.
Pond explained:
Shakpay died before the massacre of the whites; if he had been living at the time, he might perhaps have prevented it, for his influence with his people was great and he always advocated the cultivation of peace and friendship with the white people. He sometimes alarmed the timid by the use of threatening language, but never seemed disposed to do serious injury to anyone. With all his faults, he was neither quarrelsome nor vindictive.
Treaties
Shakopee was a signatory to the
Treaty of Mendota
The Treaty of Mendota was signed in Mendota, Minnesota on August 5, 1851 between the United States federal government and the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute Dakota people of Minnesota.
The agreement was signed near Pilot Knob on the south bank of the M ...
of August 5, 1851, (as "Sha-k'pay"); he and other Dakota chiefs were pressured into selling for pennies an acre.
In 1858, Chief Shakopee traveled to Washington, D.C. as one of the major chiefs in the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute treaty delegation.
Annuities of food and money were to be distributed from the federal government to the Indians as part of the treaty, but several years later after the outbreak of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, United States broke their treaty obligations.
Battle of Shakopee
The Battle of Shakopee took place in 1858, and was the last major conflict between the Dakota and Ojibwe. Dozens of warriors engaged in fighting, resulting in deaths on both sides, with no clear victor.
Death and legacy
The death of "Old Shakopee" was announced on October 16, 1860 in the ''St. Paul Pioneer and Democrat.''
Shakopee III
![Chief Shakopee III aka Little Six](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Chief_Shakopee_III_aka_Little_Six.jpg)
Shakopee III (1811 – 11 November 1865) was a
Mdewakanton Dakota
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W ...
chief who was involved at the start of the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
. Born Eatoka, which means "Another Language," he became known as Shakpedan or Little Six after the death of his father in 1860.
Following the Dakota uprising in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, Little Six fled to
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land t ...
in present-day
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. In January 1864, chiefs Little Six and Medicine Bottle were drugged, captured and transported across the
U.S.–Canadian border to
Pembina. There, they were arrested by Major Edwin A. C. Hatch and taken back to
Fort Snelling. Little Six faced trial by a
military commission in December 1864 and was executed by hanging on November 11, 1865.
The
Little Six Casino operated by the
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
is named after him.
Struggle for influence
By the time Little Six became chief in 1860, almost all bands of Dakota who had ceded their lands to the U.S. in the Treaties of 1851 and 1858 had moved to reservations bordering the upper
Minnesota River. Shakopee's band was located more than one mile west of the mouth of the
Redwood River.
According to Reverend Samuel W. Pond, Chief Little Six struggled to gain influence over his band. Little Six was inexperienced compared to his more charismatic uncle, Red Middle Voice ("Hochokaduta"). According to Pond, Red Middle Voice had surrounded himself with strongmen while his brother was still alive, and exerted "chief control over the band after he was dead," even though he was not formally recognized as chief.
Formation of Rice Creek village
Red Middle Voice ("Hocokayaduta") gained support among disaffected members of Shakopee's band who were unhappy with living conditions on the reservation. He broke from his brother's band and led his supporters to the north side of Rice Creek, some distance above the mouth of the
Redwood River, where they established their own village. Rice Creek village, as it became known, was technically on U.S. land, but its members let it be known that they were willing to defend the encampment at all costs.
The Rice Creek band was looked down upon by the other Lower Sioux Dakota as troublemakers and misfits.
However, over time, they attracted others, including some Sissetons and Wahpetons, who wanted to break away from their bands. By early 1862, they had about fifty members, with fifteen tepees.
Role in U.S.–Dakota War of 1862
Support for an uprising
![Little Crow-cropped image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Little_Crow-cropped_image.jpg)
On August 17, 1862, four young Mdewakanton hunters from Rice Creek village killed five Anglo-American settlers in present-day
Acton, Minnesota
Acton is an unincorporated community in Acton Township, Meeker County, Minnesota, United States, near Grove City and Litchfield. The community is located along Meeker County Road 23 near State Highway 4 ( MN 4). County Road 32 is also in the i ...
. They returned to Rice Creek village that evening and told Cut Nose and Red Middle Voice, who were supportive of an uprising to drive settlers out of the region.
Together with 100 warriors, Red Middle Voice went eight miles downstream to recruit his nephew, Little Six.
Little Six, in turn, resolved that an all-out war would only be possible with the backing of Chief
Little Crow III. Although Little Crow initially scoffed at the idea, the group convinced him to lead them. Little Crow then ordered an
attack on the Lower Sioux Agency the next morning, setting into motion the five-week
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
.
Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency
At daylight on August 18, 1862, warriors marched south toward the
Lower Sioux Agency
The Lower Sioux Agency, or Redwood Agency, was the federal administrative center for the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation in what became Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. It was the site of the Battle of Lower Sioux Agency on August 18, 186 ...
. The majority were from the bands of Red Middle Voice and Shakopee, but warriors from other Lower Sioux bands eventually joined them.
Historian Gary Clayton Anderson writes that it is difficult to identify which warriors committed murders on the first day, but concludes that Cut Nose and Little Six were both involved, based on survivor narratives from Justina Boelter and
Samuel Brown.
Capture of Brown family
In his narrative of the war,
Sam Brown described the capture of his family by Little Six, Cut Nose, Dowanniye and others near their home, which was about eight miles east of the
Upper Sioux Agency
Upper may refer to:
* Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot
* Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both
* ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...
. On August 19, 1862, Sam Brown, his mother Susan Frenier Brown, his siblings, and other families were in wagons heading for
Fort Ridgely
Fort Ridgely was a frontier United States Army outpost from 1851 to 1867, built 1853–1854 in Minnesota Territory. The Sioux called it Esa Tonka. It was located overlooking the Minnesota river southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Half of th ...
, when they were stopped and surrounded on the road by a large Dakota war party.
According to Brown, the Dakota warriors were intent on killing them. His mother stood up in the wagon, waved her shawl, and shouted loudly in Dakota that "she was a Sisseton – a relative of
Wanataan, Scarlet Plume, Sweetcorn, Ah-kee-pah
kipaand the friend of Standing Buffalo, that she had come down this way for protection and hoped to get it."
Nevertheless, Cut Nose, Little Six and Dowanniye were among the first to run toward them, "shaking their bloody
tomahawks menacingly in
heirfaces."
They finally stopped when one of the warriors recognized Susan Brown and declared that her life, and the lives of her family members, should be spared. She had taken the man in during the previous winter when he was freezing, and he wished to repay her kindness. The warriors then turned their attention to five of the white men who were with them and insisted on killing only them. They explained that they had all taken a vow the day before, and that if they spared the men, Little Crow and the soldiers' lodge might order to have them killed.
After further negotiations – including Susan Brown's threat to bring down the wrath of the entire Sisseton and Wahpeton tribes if the other men were harmed – the warriors relented and let the five men go. The Brown family was then taken to Rice Creek village. During the journey, they encountered the corpses of three men and one woman, whom Cut Nose confirmed they had killed earlier.
Brown recalled that Little Six had taunted his brother-in-law and their wagon driver with a song about killing men who made him angry:
Shakopee or Little Six, who was also on horseback, would now and then galop 'sic''ahead and then suddenly turn and with a whoop and a yell dash toward us and cock his gun and eye us fiercely. Mother did not like this. She told him that she wanted none of his foolishness around her, and that he must either shoot and kill or stop his antics. He would reply that we were his prisoners and should not talk so much, and then commenced singing the war song. He would shake his tomahawk at Blair and Lonsman and then repeat the war song that got so familiar afterwards...When he saw that mother was not afraid of him he quit his fooling.
Battle of Fort Ridgely
On the evening of August 19, Little Crow called a council in which he argued in favor of an all-out attack on
Fort Ridgely
Fort Ridgely was a frontier United States Army outpost from 1851 to 1867, built 1853–1854 in Minnesota Territory. The Sioux called it Esa Tonka. It was located overlooking the Minnesota river southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Half of th ...
, a move which Little Six supported. They viewed the capture of Fort Ridgely as the key to gaining control over the entire
Minnesota River valley.
At noon on August 20, 350 to 450 Dakota men left the camp which had been set up near Little Crow's village, and headed toward
Fort Ridgely
Fort Ridgely was a frontier United States Army outpost from 1851 to 1867, built 1853–1854 in Minnesota Territory. The Sioux called it Esa Tonka. It was located overlooking the Minnesota river southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Half of th ...
. Little Six was reportedly among the chiefs who led their bands in the first
Battle of Fort Ridgely, with the objective of overrunning the fort.
Little Crow himself was seen ordering his men on the west side of the fort, distracting the U.S. garrison while the other Dakota bands crept up the ravine to the east and took control of some of the outbuildings on the fort's northeast corner. In response, an
artillerist from the
5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
The 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was a Minnesota USV infantry regiment that served in the Union Army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.
Service
On October 23, 1861, Assistant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scott sent corresponde ...
and a refugee from the
Lower Sioux Agency
The Lower Sioux Agency, or Redwood Agency, was the federal administrative center for the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation in what became Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. It was the site of the Battle of Lower Sioux Agency on August 18, 186 ...
aimed two
howitzers
A howitzer () is a long-ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like oth ...
at the northeast corner and fired. Supported by
musket fire, the
artillery shells
A shell, in a military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military context. Modern usage so ...
drove the Dakota away from the buildings and back into the ravine.
The Dakota fired from a distance for five more hours, and withdrew back to the Lower Sioux Agency in the evening. This was the first time that the Sioux had encountered artillery shells, and they were disturbed by the severe injury and deaths caused by the "rotten balls."
Rest of the war
The extent of Little Six's involvement in the rest of the war is unclear. On August 24, Little Crow led the Lower Sioux bands in a hasty retreat ten miles north to Rice Creek, to unite with Little Six, Red Middle Voice and their bands. On August 28, the unified camp broke up and formed a large caravan, crossing the
Yellow Medicine River
The Yellow Medicine River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 107 miles (173 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 6 ...
where they organized a new camp.
In a council held on August 31, Little Crow argued in favor of heading toward the "Big Woods" west of
Hutchinson, Minnesota
Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the 2020 census.
History
The Hutchinson Family Singers (John, Asa, and Judson Hutchinson) ...
. He faced opposition from other band chiefs, including Little Six, who advocated heading south instead to collect plunder they had left behind at Little Crow's village and at
New Ulm, which had been abandoned.
In the end, they agreed to divide their forces. One party went west on raids in the Big Woods with Little Crow. The larger party led by Gray Bird and Mankato went south and ended up in the
Battle of Birch Coulee. Little Six, however, is not reported to have gone with either.
Chief
Big Eagle
Big Eagle ( Dakota: Waŋbdí Táŋka, c.1827–1906) was the chief of a band of Mdewakanton Dakota in Minnesota. He played an important role as a military leader in the Dakota War of 1862. Big Eagle surrendered soon after the Battle of Wood La ...
later stated in his narrative of the war that Little Six "took part in the outbreak, murdering women and children, but I never saw him in battle, and he was caught in Manitoba and hanged...My brother, Medicine Bottle, was hanged with him."
Escape to Canada and capture
After the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
, Shakopee, Medicine Bottle (Wakanozanzan), and their followers fled north across the international border to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Hundreds of their followers settled near
Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company' ...
, at the mouth of
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River (''; french: Rivière Assiniboine'') is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a sing ...
, beyond the jurisdiction of the U.S. military. Although their presence was not welcomed by Canadian authorities, little could be done against them legally, since they had committed no offenses in Canada.
[Thomson, William D. (1968).]
History of Fort Pembina 1870–1895
" Theses and Dissertations, 2512. Part of the Military History Commons, and the United States History Commons.
Hatch's Battalion
Back in Minnesota, a new mounted battalion was raised under Major Edwin A. C. Hatch, a newly commissioned officer with no military experience. On General
Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a North American fur trade, fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territor ...
's suggestion, the battalion was sent to the town of
Pembina to guard against a possible incursion by the Dakota Sioux who had taken refuge in Canada.
"Hatch's Battalion" reached Pembina on November 13, 1863, after marching 400 miles from
Fort Snelling.
Hatch was particularly keen to capture Shakopee.
Little Six was said to have boasted in Pembina that he had personally killed more than fifty men, women and children during the
war in Minnesota.
On December 15, Hatch sent twenty troops to St. Joseph, an old British trading post forty miles west of Pembina where a group of Sioux were encamped. At 3:00 am, they surrounded the camp as the Dakota were sleeping, and shot them as they emerged from their tepees, killing six.
The incident shocked and demoralized the Dakota.
Soon afterwards, the governor of the province of
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land t ...
sent a message to Hatch that many Dakota were willing to surrender if none were punished for the uprising in Minnesota.
Hatch responded by letter stating that he was willing to take them into custody and feed them, if they turned in their weapons and surrendered Little Six and seven or eight other suspected murderers.
During the month of January 1864, a total of 91 Dakota surrendered in Pembina.
Capture of Little Six and Medicine Bottle
On Christmas Day, 1863, a lieutenant from Hatch's Battalion was sent across the border to
Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company' ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
to discuss the capture of Little Six and Medicine Bottle. He met with John H. McKenzie to inform him that there would be a substantial financial reward if he succeeded. Sometime later, a captain from the battalion informed McKenzie that Andrew G. B. Bannatyne, who supplied the battalion with horse feed, would be willing to assist by providing
teams to transport the entire band across the border to
Pembina.
On January 15, 1864, John H. McKenzie and his colleague Onisime Giguere traveled 25 miles up the
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River (''; french: Rivière Assiniboine'') is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a sing ...
to the Sioux encampment. The next day, they met with the chiefs and misinformed them that the Canadian authorities would stop providing them with rations. Little Six became upset, and said he would need to speak to the governor of the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
and the bishop at once.
McKenzie and Giguiere offered Little Six and Medicine Bottle a ride to Fort Garry if they left right away. Around midnight, they had supper and a jug of
toddy at McKenzie's house. The following day was Sunday, and the chiefs were asked to respect the
Sabbath by staying home. McKenzie provided them with more toddy combined with
laudanum which had been provided by Bannatyne. They then went to Bannatyne's house, where they were given a glass of wine laced with laudanum. That afternoon, they "went into the spree in good earnest, on raw whiskey made of alcohol."
McKenzie pretended to be worried about giving them too much to drink, while refilling Giguiere's glass mostly with water.
Little Six became unconscious at around 9 pm. To prevent him from waking up, Bannatyne put a handkerchief soaked in
chloroform to his nose. They tied his hands and feet, and strapped Little Six to a "flat dog sled" lined with
buffalo robes. McKenzie then set off for Pembina with Little Six in tow.
Medicine Bottle, who was only in his mid-thirties, was less intoxicated.
They struggled for a while to bind and strap him onto another sled. Giguere then set off for Pembina with Medicine Bottle in tow. Bannatyne had provided the men with a relief of horses.
At noon the next day, they arrived in Pembina and delivered Little Six and Medicine Bottle to Major Hatch, who promptly arrested them. Hatch's battalion took Little Six and Medicine Bottle first to
Fort Abercrombie, then finally to
Fort Snelling, where they arrived on May 27, 1864.
Trial
![Little Six and Medicine Bottle at Fort Snelling](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Little_Six_and_Medicine_Bottle_at_Fort_Snelling.jpg)
On November 18, 1864, General
Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a North American fur trade, fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territor ...
issued an order for a
military commission to conduct the trials of Little Six and Medicine Bottle at
Fort Snelling. The trials had been delayed because most of Sibley's commissioned officers had either been assigned to frontier military posts, or were detached for General
Alfred Sully
Alfred Sully (May 22, 1820 – April 27, 1879), was a military officer during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars on the frontier. He was also a noted painter.
Biography
Sully was the son of the portrait painter, Thomas Sully, ...
's expedition. The panel of officers he finally selected for the military commission all came from a single regiment, the
2nd Minnesota Cavalry Regiment, before it had completed a year of service.
Little Six's trial started on December 2, immediately after the trial of Medicine Bottle had concluded. He asked for time to introduce counsel. The commission granted a one-day adjournment.
When the trial resumed, Little Six stated that former Territorial Governor
Willis A. Gorman had agreed to defend him, but was unavailable until December 9. He requested a further six-day adjournment, which the commission denied.
Little Six was then tried on two charges: murder and "general participation in the murders
massacres and other outrages."
The specifications to the first charge alleged that Little Six had killed various unidentified men, women and children in Brown, Renville, and other counties on or about August 18 and 19, 1862. The specifications to the second charge alleged that Little Six actively participated in murders, massacres and other outrages, and that he fought in battles in which many soldiers were killed.
The commission called forward six witnesses, all Dakota who had not been involved in any murders or combat. None had directly witnessed Little Six killing anyone. Three of them testified that they had heard Little Six boast of having killed settlers on the evening of the first day of the outbreak – one said he had killed seven, another said it was thirteen, and the third witness said he had said he killed six. Taopi stated that eight days after the initial outbreak, Little Six had boasted of killing a German settler and his women and children.
Little Six did not produce any witnesses, but asked to submit a written statement.
In ''History of Minnesota,'' William Folwell wrote:
The statement was brief. His father had been a good chief and always friendly to the whites. Little Six had tried to be like him and was friendly to the whites, but his people had made war on them without his knowledge and threatened to kill him if he opposed them. He recalled telling Little Crow that whites were killed, but he was never in any fight because he knew it was not right. While his people were fighting at Wood Lake he was moving up to the British territory. He would have remained there forever but was taken away. He never intended to see another American because he was ashamed for what his people had done.
On December 7, the commission issued its verdict. Little Six was found guilty on both charges – murder and general participation in murders – but not guilty of shooting at and killing soldiers.
Little Six was sentenced to death, to be hanged at a time to be determined by the commanding brigadier general.
The commission also reasoned that Little Six and Medicine Bottle did not need to be returned to British soil, because the actions of Hatch and his men in instigating their capture had not been authorized by General
John Pope.
[Winks, Robin W. (1960). ''The Civil War Years: Canada and the United States'', Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1960, p. 175–176.]
Execution
On December 14, 1864, General
Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a North American fur trade, fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territor ...
confirmed the executions of both Little Six and Medicine Bottle. He set the date for execution on January 20, 1865. Sibley forwarded the findings of the commission to Judge Advocate General
Joseph Holt
Joseph Holt (January 6, 1807 – August 1, 1894) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. As a leading member of the Buchanan administration, he succeeded in convincing Buchanan to oppose the secession of the South. He returned to Ke ...
, and stated that the two were "chiefs of two of the bands most deeply implicated" in the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
. He also asserted that they both led "not only in instigating their people to attack the whites, but in personal participation in the indiscriminate butchery of men, women and children." Regarding the legality of their arrest, he argued that the two men had been captured by British subjects, not American soldiers or citizens.
On January 20, 1865, General
John Pope confirmed the judgments. In March, General Holt reviewed the transcript of the proceedings and strongly recommended to President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
that he approve both executions. On August 29, 1865,
Andrew Johnson, who became
U.S. President after
Lincoln's assassination
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was Assassination, assassinated by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
S ...
, approved the death sentences.
When Little Six and Medicine Bottle were informed of Johnson's decision, Little Six said:
"I am not a squaw – I can die whenever the white man wishes."
The date of their execution was then set for October 11. Father
Augustin Ravoux
Augustin Ravoux (January 11, 1815 – January 17, 1906) was a French priest and missionary who served in the area preceding Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in Minnesota.
Biography
Ravoux was born in Langeac, Auvergne ...
, who served as spiritual adviser to Little Six and Medicine Bottle, lobbied for the
commutation of their sentences. On October 2, the Right Reverend
Thomas Grace, the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
of
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
, wrote to President Andrew Johnson opposing the execution of Little Six and Medicine Bottle, "in consideration of the treacherous manner in which they were brought within the jurisdiction" of the United States.
Bishop Grace wrote:
However guilty they may be, it is the instinct of every generous mind that the Government cannot execute punishment upon them under the circumstances, without dishonor to itself.
President Johnson sent Bishop Grace's letter to
Secretary of the Interior James Harlan. On October 10, Harlan sent the letter back to the president and recommended suspending the sentences, on the basis that he had been unable to get information about the case from the
Department of War. The president immediately suspended the sentence.
Minnesota Governor
Stephen Miller then wrote to President Johnson appealing on behalf of the victims of the 1862 conflict that they consider the cases carefully. He also wrote to Secretary Harlan that sufficient evidence had been presented for execution. The
judge advocate general then reviewed the cases again and issued a final opinion and recommendation to the president recommending execution.
The execution was set for Saturday, November 11 at 12 noon. Colonel Robert N. McLaren, the commandant at
Fort Snelling, informed Little Six and Medicine Bottle through Father Ravoux. The two men calmly nodded and smiled.
Day of execution
![Hanging of Little Six and Medicine Bottle CDV, 1865](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Hanging_of_Little_Six_and_Medicine_Bottle_CDV%2C_1865.png)
On November 11, Little Six and Medicine Bottle were executed by hanging at
Fort Snelling. Father Ravoux went early to be with Little Six and Medicine Bottle until the end. Medicine Bottle said prayers he had learned from the priest while Little Six grunted in agreement. Little Six gave his pipe to Colonel McLaren and a letter and small
valise for his wife.
More than 400 citizens of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
assembled to watch the execution. At 12 noon, 425 soldiers marched in formation around the double gallows.
= Last words
=
A popular legend is that Little Six heard the whistle of a
steam locomotive in the distance as he climbed the steps of the
gallows
A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...
. Pointing in the direction of the train, Little Six supposedly said, "As the white man comes in, the Indian goes out."
Historian Micheal Clodfelter writes, "Though the cinematic speech never occurred, this final hanging did mark a melodramatic end to Santee Minnesota."
Aftermath
After the hangings, some witnesses ran up to the gallows to cut off pieces of the nooses to keep as souvenirs.
At some point after the execution, the bodies of Little Six and Medicine Bottle were acquired by doctors in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
. According to Dakota researcher and filmmaker Sheldon Wolfchild, Shakopee's body was preserved in a wooden whiskey barrel and sent to
Jefferson Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the unive ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, where it was used by Professor
Joseph Pancoast
Joseph Pancoast (November 23, 1805 – March 6, 1882) was an American surgeon. His name is eponymic to the practice of surgery, in general, and cosmetic surgery, in particular.
Pancoast was responsible for many seminal advancements in surge ...
for his lessons in
human anatomy.
In 1867, the
Minnesota Legislature approved $1,000 to be paid for the services and expenses of John H. McKenzie and Onisime Giguere in the capture of Little Six and Medicine Bottle.
References
External links
Eden Prairie History — Three Chiefs Shakopee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shakopee
1750s births
1827 deaths
1860 deaths
1811 births
1865 deaths
Native American leaders
Executed Native American people
People of pre-statehood Minnesota
Sioux people
Dakota War of 1862
People murdered in Minnesota
Pre-statehood history of Minnesota
Native American families
1827 murders in the United States