1) Vocab - p. 75
- westward expansion - 19th century movement from east US to Midwest and West
- treaty - written agreement between two or more nations
- sovereign - self-ruling and independent
- military base - central location where an armed force keeps its supplies and organizes its operations
- territory - part of the US that is not within a state but is organized with its own governing leaders
- delegation - one or more persons chosen to represent others
- negotiation - process of discussing a question or conflict in order to settle it
2) The First Land Deal - p. 76
- Zebulon Pike: US Army Officer who was sent to get Dakota land to build a fort
- 1805: Pike and Dakota signed a document for 2 pieces of land
- 1819: Fort Snelling was built
YouTube Fort Snelling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vztFEDSJAlg
3) A Place to Gather - p. 77
- Purpose of Fort Snelling:
1) protect the Fur Trade from the British
2) keep peace among the Indians
3) military base, but not for fighting
4) enforce laws related to the Fur Trade
Newcomers (White men and women)
- MN a land that is rich to settle, property to be bought and sold
Indians
- MN was home, sacred traditions and way of life, could not be owned or sold
4) Making Treaties - p. 78
- 1837: 1st major land treaty
settlements: Marine on St. Croix, Taylor Falls, Stillwater, Pig's Eye Landing (St. Paul)
5) Many Motives - p. 79
- Reasons Dakota wanted to sign the treaties:
1) Get food and money
2) To keep some land
3) Had no choice
- Reasons Dakota did not want to sign the treaties:
1) land/home was not something that could be sold
2) thought US would not keep promises
- Reason the Government wanted treaties:
1) wanted land to sell to the settlers so they can move West
- Reasons the Fur Traders wanted treaties:
1) wanted land to start new businesses such as lumbering and land sales
2) get money back from Indians that they owed to the traders
- Reasons the Missionaries wanted treaties:
1) get Dakota to change to Christianity
2) would help get the Dakota to give up their traditional ways
6) The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux - p. 81
- YouTube Treaty of Traverse des Sioux: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b69JD5pPh4g
- Treaty took 6 days
Day 1: first gathering of US delegation and Dakota elders, Ramsey proposes the Dakota should accept money and goods for some of their land. Dakota elders don't speak or ask questions. Council adjourns for the day.
Day 2: Star Face, first Dakota to speak to council, wants to wait until his band of men get there, Sleepy Eyes also reluctant. Ramsey threatens to stop negotiations. Tempers flare. After all cool down, they agree to meet again after one-day recess.
Day 3: recess break
Day 4: Extended Tail Feathers wants council to make offer in writing. Ramsey agrees and council adjourns.
Day 5: Dakota consider offer made by Ramsey. Interpreters are translating for the Indians, fur traders are trying to convince the Indians to sign, and Dakota finally agree to sign if minor changes are made.
Day 6: Dakota seem hesitant still, demanding a copy to see if US will keep promises. Dakota hope changes won't be made after the signing and some suspect they will never see much of the money promised to them. Ramsey and another US official sign treaty. Despite concerns the Dakota elders sign it one by one. Two copies are signed. Stephen Riggs guides Dakota to another table to sign another document. Dakota think it is a third copy, but it is a document that says they will pay back the traders with treaty money.
7) The Aftermath - p. 82
Results of the Treaties of Traverse des Sioux and Mendota
1) Dakota gave up almost all of their land
2) Dakota got $3 million and permanent reservation
3) Some money went to the Fur Traders and Missionaries
4) Permanent reservations became Temporary
5) Settlers poured into Minnesota
YouTube US-Dakota Treaties: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iai-4-OgPlY
MN belonged to US government not to Dakota or Ojibwe
8) Sidebars - p. 79 and p. 83
- p. 79: George Bonga
1) interpreter - knew 3 languages
2) Father was an Africian American Fur Trader
3) Mother was an Ojibwe woman
- p. 83: Treaty Makers
important question - who would speak for the Dakota?
- Several elders participated, but they insisted on speaking with their people before final decisions were made
- Ramsey insisted that the elders were perfectly capable to make the decisions on their own
- Elders did meet with council and also with their own bands
- Only when they were satisfied that most of their people agreed with the treaty did they sign