The photo above is of Dakota, We-chan-hpe-wash-tay-do-pe aka Chaska, who was hung with the other 37 men on December 26th 1862. You may know that Chaska is a name meaning first born son and so a lot of Dakota men hold that name, My late husband was Chaska, but it changed over the years to Chuck or Charlie! The Chaska above should never have been hung, but they say that the name caused it to happen. Let me give you the story.

Sarah Wakefield was the doctor's wife, at Yellow Medicine for the Upper Sioux. They had lived there since 1861. Sarah has said herself that the Dakota were good, kind people. She also said that when she was thrown into their hands as a prisoner, she felt more easy and contented than any other white person among them, for she knew that not one of the Yellow medicine people would see her or her children suffer as long as they could protect her. (Six Weeks in the Sioux Tepees). That is of course what happened, she and her children were cared for and protected by a Dakota man and his family. This man was Chaska.

Sarah Wakefield, felt bad for the starving Dakota and did what she could to help them, and that is probably why her life was spared, they knew she was a friend. So they kept her and her children safe. A lot of the whites did not hold with her feelings and so they, if captured, were not spared.

Pretty soon she ended up in Chaska's tipi, with her children and his family. He protected her, at one point saying they had been married, so no warrior would touch her. They fed her and the children and at times had to hide them from sight for fear of them being killed by Dakota that did not know who she was.

Her story is written in her book, 'Six Weeks in the Sioux Tepees'. This was originally written in 1863, but has since been reprinted in 1985.

When she was released, she told the soldiers that Chaska had saved her life many times, and that he was not to be harmed. She was told by a Captain Grant that Chaska would not be hanged, but would be imprisioned for 5 years.

Sarah managed to get back to Shakopee and safety and it was there that she found out that Chaska had been hung. It should have been a different Chaska (da), who had killed a woman and a baby, but instead, Chaska went in line to be hung instead. Sarah was mortified, her protector, the man who stopped her from being killed, had himself been killed. She contacted Steven Riggs, the Missionary, who said he had been hung by mistake. See the letter below:

'Mrs. Wakefield, Dear Madam
In regard to the mistake by which Chaska was hanged instead of another, I doubt whether I can satisfactorily explain it. We all felt a solemn responsibility and a fear that some mistake should occur. We had forgotten that he was condemned under the name of We-chan-hpe-wash-tay-do-pe. We knew he was called Chaska in the prison and had forgotten that any other except Robert Hopkins, who lived by Dr. Williamson, was so called. We never thought of the third one; so when the name of Chaska was called in the prison on that fatal morning, your protector answered to it and walked out. I do not think anyone was to blame. We all regretted the mistake very much.
With kind respects, yours truly,
S. R. Riggs.'

It has been said since that the reason Chaska had been hung was because a lot of the men beieved that he had been intimate with Sarah while she was living in his tipi, and they didn't like it and so conspired to have him killed. It sounds like it could have been true, but Chaska was and still is a very well used name. So who knows.

An extra to the story:

While I was working on a Dakota 38 + 3 committee, another lady (who is now in our group) and myself were so angry and upset about Chaska, that we tried to get him a pardon. Had we been successful, we would have tried to get them all pardoned. However we heard nothing back, and didn't have the resources to get a lawyer to fight the case. And so that was the end of that. Who knows, some day someone may be successful and they will all be pardoned.

The names of those hung are:

"SAINT PAUL, December 27, 1862. The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
I have the honor to inform you that the thirty-eight Indians and half-breeds ordered by you for execution were hung yesterday at Mankato at 10 a.m. Everything went off quietly and the other prisoners are well secured. Respectfully, H. H. SIBLEY, Brigadier-General."

The names of those executed were as follows:
~Ptan Du-ta (Scarlet Otter)
~O-ya'-te Ta-wa (His people)
~Hin-han'-sun-ko-yag-ma-ni (One who Walks Clothed in Owl Feathers)
~Ma-za Bo-mdu (Iron Blower)
~Wa-hi'na (possibly meaning I Came)
~Sna Ma-hi (Tinkling Water)
~Hda In-yan-ka (Rattling Water)
~He-pan (Second born child, this was given to the second boy)
~Tun-kan' I-ca'hda Ma-ni (One Who Walks by His Grandfather)
~Ka-mde'-ca (Broken to Pieces)
~He In'-kpa (The Tip of the Horn)
~Na-pe'-sni (Fearless)
~Ma-za Ku-te Ma-ni (One Who Shoots As He Walks)
~A-i'-ca-ge (To Grow Upon)
~Ho-i'-tan-in Ku (Returning Clear Voice)
~Ce-tan' Hun-ka' (Elder Hawk)
~Can-ka-hda (Near the Woods)
~Hda'-hin-hde (Sudden Rattle)
~O-ya'-te A-ku' (He Brings the People)
~Ma-hu'-we-hi (He Comes for Me)
~Ti-hdo'-ni-ca (One Who Jealousy Guards His Home)
~Wa-kan Tan-ka (Great Mystery or Great Spirit)
~Cas-ke'-da (First Born Child. this was given to the first boy)
~Do-wan'-s'a (Sings a lot or Singer)
~Ta-te' Ka-ga (Wind Maker)
~Sun-ka Ska (White Dog)
~Wa-kin'-yan-na (Little Thunder)
~Baptiste Campbell (a mixed blood)
~Wa-hpe Du-ta (Scarlet Leaf)
~Wa-si'-cun (White Man)
~I-te' Du-ta (Scarlet Face)
~Ma-ka'-ta I-na' (One Who Stands on Earth)
~Hypolite Auge (a mixed blood)
~Ma-hpi'-ya A-i'-na-zin (One who Stands on a Cloud, a.k.a. Cut Nose)
~Tun-kan' Ko-yag I-na'-zin (One Who Stands Cloaked in Stone)
~Ta-te' Hdi-da (Wind Comes Home)
~Ta-te Hmi-hma (Round Wing)

The following pictures were drawn by Robert O. Sweeney in December 26th of 1862,

Joseph Godfrey
	Shunka Ska - White Dog
Hypolite Auge	Baptiste Campbell

I will try to get all of the names of the above people from a larger picture.

Six Weeks in the Sioux Tepees. by Sarah Wakefield
Link to the American Amazon site.

This is a story of a Christmas day when I was a child. It continues the Silent Night story of Xmas eve------Those were the days back then.
Happy for an orange in the stocking and a candy cane, a few walnuts. Snow and a ride in a sleigh with bells and the winter wonderland of it all. Then laying in front of the fireplace coloring while waiting for my grandmother's dinner. Running down to the barn to feed my lambs, the barn warm from all the milk cows and sheep, the horses crunching corn in their mangers. The sounds of them all milling about. My Grandfather forking down alfalfa from the hay loft into the different mangers. Sense of happiness and contentment and love for it all. Hearing the blizzard out side and the winter wonderland it produced. Running up to the house and bursting in the door, stomping our feet, where the little front room, warm and cozy from the wood stove and Grandmother pulling off all my wet clothes, hanging them around the stove to dry. The smell of ozone in the air. Drinking hot milk with a touch of vanilla, fresh from the milked cows. Grandfather setting in the rocker and calling me to set at his feet where he read me the story of the night before Christmas. And later, the smell of coal oil from the glass lantern as I was put to bed in a room where I could see my breath in the air. Snuggled deep in the feather mattress. A blue mason jar of hot water for my feet and one to hold. My Grandmother tucking me in---- Àhhh that was Christmas---- I let my grandmother close my eyes as I drifted down into slumber, the sweetest slumber snug in a bed of warm quilts while she beamed down at me and pulled the blankets up to my chin. - Her little granddaughter And there came a blissful contentment muddling everything that was in me in which nothing mattered but the love I felt, for her, those were the days back then.

Àhhh that was Christmas her eyes and her tender touch-- the picture is of my Grandfathers rocking chair. When I was little I used to pretend that the arm of the chair was my horse and I would ride it and say, 'Where am I at NOW Grandma?' and she would say she was now crossing into Texas. That how she taught me the names of all the state's back then. I was 4 or 5

Nancy Raven Kohn

To go with Nancy's story I would like to add that I hope those of you on the Ride and supporting in Mankato, all get home to your State safely and without too much snow and ice.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and stories for this spot on the page. I appreciate you all!

Rebecca Lea
Wakanyubdecewin Obago

Kim Graczyk Wroge Evans
There were so many people! The message was amazing!