The photo above is of Dakota,Te-he-do-ne-cha, aka One Who Jealously Guards His Home, and the background photo is of Ta-ta-ka-gay aka Wind Maker. Both of these men were hung in Mankato on 26th December 1862.
A full list will be on here tomorrow.

'As weeks passed, cases were handled with increasing speed. On November 5, the commission completed its work. 392 prisoners were tried, 303 were sentenced to death, and 16 were given prison terms.

President Lincoln and government lawyers then reviewed the trial transcripts of all 303 men. As Lincoln would later explain to the U.S. Senate:

"Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I ordered a careful examination of the records of the trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females."

When only two men were found guilty of rape, Lincoln expanded the criteria to include those who had participated in “massacres” of civilians rather than just “battles.” He then made his final decision, and forwarded a list of 39 names to Sibley.' From http://usdakotawar.org/

One of the two on this page today should not have been hung, he was an onlooker, was young, the grandson of Wakanmani, leader of a Wahpeton band. His name was ta-ta-ka-gay aka Wind Maker, and was said to be mentally defective. So those reviewers did not do much of a job, did they? Read the letter below, another mistake, that should have been found by the reviewers.

Letter from Hdainyanka to Chief Wabasha written shortly before his execution:

"You have deceived me. You told me that if we followed the advice of General Sibley, and gave ourselves up to the whites, all would be well; no innocent man would be injured. I have not killed, wounded or injured a white man, or any white persons. I have not participated in the plunder of their property; and yet to-day I am set apart for execution, and must die in a few days, while men who are guilty will remain in prison. My wife is your daughter, my children are your grandchildren. I leave them all in your care and under your protection. Do not let them suffer; and when my children are grown up, let them know that their father died because he followed the advice of his chief, and without having the blood of a white man to answer for to the Great Spirit." Source: Isaac V. D. Heard, History of the Sioux War and Massacres of 1862 and 1863, NY: Harper & Bros., 1863

Mistakes happen all the time, we know that, but usually in cases like these, lawyers protect the innocent. These men had no-one to stand up for them with the truth, and so many were hung that shouldn't have been. In many cases saying they did something that they hadn't done just to save face. 'Coward' is in fact a 'killer' word when it comes to Dakota Warriors.
I will be writing about another one of these men tomorrow.

I met Alberta Jim Miller on February 20, 2013 at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The film Dakota 38 + 2 (2012) was being screened and members of Smooth Feather Production were also there. My friend had viewed the film and recommended that I see it. My friend said it was a part of my history. My mother a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and my father a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

I will never forget how this history impacted me. To this day I have followed the annual Dakota 38 + 2 Wokiksuye Ride, a 330-mile route on horseback from Lower Brule, South Dakota to Mankato, Minnesota.

Forever thankful for Jim Miller's vision and prayers for healing and reconciliation.

Today I have said prayers for the horses, riders and support crew.

Rosetta Walker

Cree Iron Cloud
In memory of Marissa Blacklance, my brother Jake honored her life in a beautiful way today by dressing a horse and leading it on the Dakota 38+2 memorial ride. A ride that honors 40 Dakota that were hung in 1862 in Mankato MN (the largest mass hanging in the US history). Just a year ago she was here physically and today spiritually. My aunt and sisters made this horse regalia to represent her and it turned out amazing.

Jake Iron Cloud

Rosetta Walker
A beautiful young woman taken too soon. Her spirit is riding and guiding you today.

Nena Valenzuela
Gorgeous. What a beautiful way to remember a love one. We never forget our ancestors. Safe journey, almost there. Prayers and thank you.

Susan Engelby
That horse knows she’s wearing something spectacular...very proud..

Franky Jackson
You did a fine job Jake Iron Cloud.

Emily Kretschmer
Stunning to see this handsome horse in brilliant regalia in memoriam.