- Summary
- "In April 1863--after the Dakota War of 1862, after the hanging of thirty-eight Dakota men in the largest mass execution in U.S. history--some 270 Dakota men were moved from Mankato, Minnesota, to a prison at Camp McClellan in Davenport, Iowa. Separated from their wives, children, and elder relatives, with inadequate shelter, they lived there for three long, wretched years. More than 120 men died. Desperate to connect with their families, many of these prisoners of war learned to write. Their letters, mostly addressed to the missionaries Stephen R. Riggs and Thomas S. Williamson, asked for information, for assistance, and for help sending and receiving news of their loved ones. Dakota elders Clifford Canku and Michael Simon, fluent Dakota speakers, provide both the transcription and the first published translation of fifty of these letters, culled from Riggs's papers at the Minnesota Historical Society. They are a precious resource for Dakota people learning about the travails their ancestors faced, important primary source documents for historians, and a vital tool for Dakota language learners and linguists"--Amazon.com, viewed April 30, 2013.
- Variant Title
- Dakota Kaŝkapi Okicize Wowapi
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Canku, Clifford.
- Published
- St. Paul, MN : Minnesota Historical Society Press, [2013]
- Locale
- Iowa
Davenport Region
- Contents
-
Spiritual foundation: Dakota prisoner of war letters of 1862-1866 / Dr. Clifford Canku
Translator's preface / Michael Simon
Acknowledgments
Introducing the Dakota letters / John Peacock
A note on the translations
Dakota Alphabet
The letters. A woman, April 25, 1863 ; Four lightning / David Faribault, Jr., May 18, 1863 ; Many lightning face and others, June 26, 1863 ; Glowing light, [undated, 1863] ; Truly passes on, [1863 or 1864] ; Augustin Fresneir, March 20, 1864 ; Ruban His sacred nest, April [22], 1864 ; Robert Hopkins/First born son, May 3, 1864 ; Peter his big fire, May 4, [1864] ; James the sacred second son, May 17, 1864 ; Good day, June 12, 1864 ; Iron Elk, June, 1864 ; Robert Hopkins, August 20, 1864 ; Antoine Provençalle, August 22, 1864 ; Appears good and Robert Hopkins, August 24, 1864 ; Appears good, August 28,1864 ; Eli bird came back, October 6, [1864] ; Robert Hopkins, October 24, 1864 ; Elias Ruban They see his ways, November 14, 1864 ; Glowing light, [1864] ; Iron flyer flying by, [1864] ; Iron flyer flying by, [1864]
Good-good, [1864] ; Hands to ruin, [1864] ; Old iron man, [1864] ; Comes out of the earth, [1864] ; Stands on earth woman, [1864] ; Frost, [1864 or 1865] ; Frost, [1864] ; Frost, [1864-1865] ; [Frost, 1864 or 1865] ; Thomas Good-Good, [1864] ; Joseph Godfrey, January 21, 1865 ; John Driver, March 6, 1865 ; Elias Ruban they see his ways, April 1, 1865 ; Moses many lightning face, April 7, 1865 ; Moses many lightning face, April 17, 1865 ; Robert Hopkins, April 24,1865 ; Henry now, June 1, [1865] ; Mr. Uses a cane, June 2, 1865 ; Sage, July 7, 1865 ; Elias Ruban they see his ways, November 16, 1865 ; Simon Many lightning, [1865] ; Joseph Old iron man, February 1, 1866 ; Robert Hopkins, February 24, 1866 ; Simon Thomas many lightning, April 8, 1866 ; Walks among the clouds, April 8, 1866 ; Has a woman two places, [1866] ; Flies twice, [1866].
Afterword / John Peacock.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-218) and index.
Spiritual foundation: Dakota prisoner of war letters of 1862-1866 / Dr. Clifford Canku -- Translator's preface / Michael Simon -- Acknowledgments -- Introducing the Dakota letters / John Peacock -- A note on the translations -- Dakota Alphabet -- The letters. A woman, April 25, 1863 ; Four lightning / David Faribault, Jr., May 18, 1863 ; Many lightning face and others, June 26, 1863 ; Glowing light, [undated, 1863] ; Truly passes on, [1863 or 1864] ; Augustin Fresneir, March 20, 1864 ; Ruban His sacred nest, April [22], 1864 ; Robert Hopkins/First born son, May 3, 1864 ; Peter his big fire, May 4, [1864] ; James the sacred second son, May 17, 1864 ; Good day, June 12, 1864 ; Iron Elk, June, 1864 ; Robert Hopkins, August 20, 1864 ; Antoine Provençalle, August 22, 1864 ; Appears good and Robert Hopkins, August 24, 1864 ; Appears good, August 28,1864 ; Eli bird came back, October 6, [1864] ; Robert Hopkins, October 24, 1864 ; Elias Ruban They see his ways, November 14, 1864 ; Glowing light, [1864] ; Iron flyer flying by, [1864] ; Iron flyer flying by, [1864] -- Good-good, [1864] ; Hands to ruin, [1864] ; Old iron man, [1864] ; Comes out of the earth, [1864] ; Stands on earth woman, [1864] ; Frost, [1864 or 1865] ; Frost, [1864] ; Frost, [1864-1865] ; [Frost, 1864 or 1865] ; Thomas Good-Good, [1864] ; Joseph Godfrey, January 21, 1865 ; John Driver, March 6, 1865 ; Elias Ruban they see his ways, April 1, 1865 ; Moses many lightning face, April 7, 1865 ; Moses many lightning face, April 17, 1865 ; Robert Hopkins, April 24,1865 ; Henry now, June 1, [1865] ; Mr. Uses a cane, June 2, 1865 ; Sage, July 7, 1865 ; Elias Ruban they see his ways, November 16, 1865 ; Simon Many lightning, [1865] ; Joseph Old iron man, February 1, 1866 ; Robert Hopkins, February 24, 1866 ; Simon Thomas many lightning, April 8, 1866 ; Walks among the clouds, April 8, 1866 ; Has a woman two places, [1866] ; Flies twice, [1866]. -- Afterword / John Peacock.
Text in English and Dakota.
