The Story the Song Tells:Wakantanka (Many and Great)

from Renville to Lincoln

PF Anderson (Perplexity Peccable)

Birth of a Song, Song of Plenty

• Joseph Renville– Son of a French fur-trader and a woman of

the Lakota Sioux, born 1779 at Kaposia (St Paul), Minnesota

– Fostered with the priests– Scout, interpreter and translator

• Assisted with bringing the Bible to his people

– Death from illness in 1842

Robinson, Doane. A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians. South Dakota Historical Collections, v. 2. South Dakota Department of Historical Collections. Aberdeen, SD, State Historical Society, ©1904. http://books.google.com/books?id=PrUtRUfxgLsC

Wakantanka

Grammar and Dictionary of the Dakota language, collected by Rev. S. R. Riggs. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, v. 4. http://books.google.com/books?id=dmISAAAAYAAJ

Wakantanka

• Wakantanka taku nitawa • tankaya qaota; • mahpiya kin eyahnake ca, • makakin he duowanca. • Mniowanca sbeya wanke cin, • hena ovakihi.

"Dakota Hymn" / Lacquiparle / “Many and Great” - by Joseph R. Renville (1842), trans. SR Riggs, paraphrased by R. Phillip Frazier (1929). http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/poemquot/wakantanka.html

Wakantanka / Many and Great

• Wakantanka taku nitawa

• tankaya qaota; • mahpiya kin

eyahnake ca, • makakin he

duowanca. • Mniowanca sbeya

wanke cin, • hena ovakihi.

• Many and great, O God, are your works,

• Maker of earth and sky; • Your hands have set the

heaven with stars; • Your fingers spread the

mountains and plains. • See, at your word the

waters were formed; • Deep seas obey your

voice.

Audio available at: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/a/mangreat.htm"Dakota Hymn" / Lacquiparle / “Many and Great” - by Joseph R. Renville (1842), trans. SR Riggs, paraphrased by R. Phillip Frazier (1929). http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/poemquot/wakantanka.html

Twenty years later …

• Times of prosperity and generosity shift to times of illness and starvation

Homstad, Daniel W. Lincoln’s Agonizing Decision. American History Dec 2001 36(5):28

Little Crow Seeks Assistance

Wikimedia Commons: Little Crow c1862: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Little_crow_c1862.jpgWikimedia Commons: Chief Little Crow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ChiefLittleCrow.jpg

Talks Fail, Desperation & Illness Strike

• Smallpox and influenza are ravaging the native populations

Lord Jeff Documents with Microfilm Index & Text Files of Excerpts: http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/amherst/jeff_docs.html

Leaving 486 Settlers Dead

Wikimedia Commons: The Siege of New Ulm, Minnesota: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:The_Siege_of_New_Ulm_Minn.jpg

Call to Arms

• Governor Alexander Ramsey

• Colonel Henry Sibley

Wikimedia Commons: Alexander Ramsey: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Alexander_Ramsey,_2nd_Governor_of_Minnesota.jpgWikimedia Commons: Henry Hastings Sibley: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Henry_Hastings_Sibley.jpg

A Call for Moderation

• Bishop Henry Whipple calls to Lincoln

Wikimedia Commons: Lincoln & McClelland, 1862-10-03: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Lincoln_and_McClellan_1862-10-03.jpgWikimedia Commons: Henry Benjamin Whipple: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Henry_Benjamin_Whipple_-_Brady-Handy.jpg

The Decision

Homstad, Daniel W. Lincoln’s Agonizing Decision. American History Dec 2001 36(5):28

December 26, 1862; 10:00 AM,

The Song is Sung

"Execution of the Thirty-eight Sioux Indians/at Mankato Minnesota December 26, 1862." Hayes Lith. Co., Buffalo, NY. colored print/16 1/4" x 21 1/4.” Archives & Special Collections. F&M College Library. http://library.fandm.edu/archives/webpagepicts/3210d.jpg

The Other Captives

Homstad, Daniel W. Lincoln’s Agonizing Decision. American History Dec 2001 36(5):28

Next … The Trail of Tears

Homstad, Daniel W. Lincoln’s Agonizing Decision. American History Dec 2001 36(5):28

Now

RavenMN: Photo of Buffalo Reconciliation Park. http://ravenmn.buzznet.com/user/photos/?id=7152771Largest mass hanging in US history: http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/hanging.htmlBarry, Paul. Reconciliation. http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues99/Co12251999/CO_122599_Reconciliation.html

More information• Wikipedia: Dakota War of 1862:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_War_of_1862

• Homstad, Daniel W. Lincoln’s Agonizing Decision. American History Dec 2001 36(5):28

• Barry, Paul. Reconciliation. http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues99/Co12251999/CO_122599_Reconciliation.html

• More links: http://delicious.com/rosefirerising/minnesota OR http://delicious.com/rosefirerising/1862