Growing up in Mankato, Minnesota, John Biewen heard next to nothing about the town’s most important historical event. In 1862, Mankato was the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history – the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors – following one of the major wars between Plains Indians and settlers. In this documentary, originally produced for
This American Life, John goes back to Minnesota to explore what happened, and why Minnesotans didn’t talk about it afterwards.
Image: The Minnesota State Seal, 1858
Download a transcript of the episode.
Key sources for this episode:
Gwen Westerman, Mni Sota Makoce
Mary Wingerd, North Country: The Making of Minnesota
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4 comments on “Episode 35: Little War on the Prairie (Seeing White, Part 5)”
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I’m trying find the beginning. I was just intoduced to “Seeing White,” and would like to start from the 1st one. I just clicked on #2–thought I was gettin Part 2, instead up pops Episode 35, Part 5. I’ll keep exploring to find sequences in order.
Patricia,
You should be able to see all episodes in order for the series on this page: http://podcast.cdsporch.org/seeing-white/
Sorry for the confusion!
Whitney
Thank you for this series and especially this episode. I am so glad to hear of this opportunity to be educated on race. I work with a group of Native Americans. I am of Norwegian descent, so I don’t have a real grasp on the history or culture and this helped immensely. I am aware of the genocide of tribes including the attempt to wipe out their culture through boarding schools. There is so much I didn’t know that I didn’t know.
That 3rd grade teachers telling her students that Native Americans didn’t know how to resolve conflicts by any means other than fighting is tantamount to calling the Dakota savages. Hearing a 3rd grade teacher say that was an absolute gut punch, I hope she uses this series to re-inform her teaching and give her a better understanding of the influence she has to create racist biases in young people. If not, I hope she finds a new job.