Growing up around Riley Lake as a kid we used to hike around and pretend we were walking on "Indian trails" little did I realize until some time later we actually were. My brother's and myself have found quite a few Indian artifacts over time. I found a map some time ago which showed some minor Indian encampments around the main camp at Shakopee and one was at the mouth of Riley Creek going out of the lake to the Minnesota river, as I remember, that's where we had seemed find most of our artifacts. So in reality, the first settlers around Riley Lake were the Indians. Over time I gathered this information about the Chief's that were the heads of these tribes. The Three Shakopee's Shakopee (or Shakpay, as it was commonly pronounced), meaning Six, was the hereditary name, like Wabasha, of successive chiefs, in lineal descent from father to son. The first of whom we have definite knowledge is the Shakopee who was killed when running the gauntlet at Fort Snelling in June,1827, as related by Mrs. Charlotte O. Van Cleve ("Three Score Years and Ten," 1888, pages 74-79). The second who is commemorated by the name of this city, characterized by Samuel W. Pond, Jr., as "a man of marked ability in council and one of the ablest and most effective orators in the whole Dakota Nation," died in 1860. His son, who had been called Shakpedan (Little Six), was born on the site of the city in 1811, became at his fathers death, the chief of the band, numbering at that time about 400. He was hung at Fort Snelling, November 11, 1865, for participating in the massacres of 1862. Shakopee I * Like the old man in Dickens', "Child's Story," "I am always remembering: come and remember with me. I close my eyes and recall an evening some 42 years ago, when, in one of the stone houses near Fort Snelling, which was our home at the time, a pleasant company of officers and their families were spending a social evening with my parents. The doors were thrown open, for the weather was warm and one of the officers, Capt. Cruger, was walking on the piazza, when we were all startled by the sound of rapid firing very near us. The Captain rushed into the house, much agitated, exclaiming "That bullet almost grazed my ear!" What could it mean: were the Indians surrounding us? Soon the loud yells and shrieks from the Indian camp near our house made it evident that the treaty of peace made that afternoon between the Sioux and the Chippewas had ended, as all those treaties did, in treachery and bloodshed. The principal men of the two nations had met at the Indian Agency and in the presence of Maj. Taliaferro, their "White Father;" had made a solemn treaty of peace. In the evening, at the wig-wam of the Chippewa chief, they had ratified this treaty by smoking the pipe of peace together; and then, before the smoke of the emblematic pipe had cleared away, the treacherous Sioux had gone out and deliberately fired into the wig-wam, killing and wounding several unsuspecting inmates. The Chippewas of course returned the fire and this was what startled us all and broken up the pleasant little gathering at my father's house. The Chippewas sought refuge and protection with their wounded within the walls of the fort, commanded at that time by co. Josiah Snelling, for whom the fort was named. They were kindly cared for and the wounded were tenderly nursed in our hospital. One, a little girl, daughter of the chief,excited much sympathy and I can not forget the interest I felt in her, for he was but a year or two older than myself and it seemed to me so cruel to put out her young life. I remember the ladies of the fort were very kind and tender to her and since I have had little girls of my own, I know why she lingered but a few days in great agony and then God took her out of her pain to that land where the poor little, wandering, wounded child should know sin or suffering no more. Meanwhile our Colonel, a prompt and efficient officer, demanded of the Sioux the murders and in a few days, a body of Sioux were seen advancing towards the fort, as was supposed, to deliver up the criminals. Two companies of soldiers were sent to meet them and receive the murderers at their hands. Strange to say, although they had the men, they refused to give them up. our interpreter, I cannot recall his name, stepped out from among our soldiers and said; "If you do not yield up these men peaceably, then, as many leaves as there are on these tree, as many blades of grass as you see beneath your feet, so many white men will come upon you, burn your villages and destroy your nation." A few moments consideration, a few hurried words of consultation and the guilty men were handed over to our troops. The tribe followed as they were taken into the fort and making a small fire within the walls, the condemned marched round and round it, singing their death songs and then were given up to be put in irons and held in custody until time should determine how many lives should pay the forfeit, for it is well known that Indian revenge is literally a life for a life and the colonel had to decided to give them into the hands of the injured tribe to do with them as they would. Some weeks passed and it was found that five lives were to be paid for in kind. A council of Chippewas decided that the five selected from the prisoners should run the gauntlet and the decision was approved. Back over the lapse of these many years I pass and seem to be a child again, standing beside my brother at the back door of my father's house. The day is beautiful, the sun is so bright, the grass is green, all nature so smiling, it is hard to realize what is going on over yonder by the graveyard, in that crowd of men and women. For there are gathered together of the Chippewas, old and young men, women and children, who have come out to witness or take part in this act of retributive justice. There are blue coats too and various badges of our U.S. uniform, for it is necessary to throw some restraint around these red men or there may be wholesale murder and borne on the shoulders of his young men, we see the form of a wounded, dying chief, regarding all with calm satisfaction and no doubt happy in the thought that his death, so near, will not go unavenged. And there stand the young braves who have been selected as the executioners; there rifles are loaded, the lock carefully examined and all is ready when the word shall be given. There too, under guard are the five men who are to pay the forfeit for the five lives taken so wantonly and treacherously. Away off, I cannot tell how many rods, but it seems to us children a long run, are stationed the Sioux tribe and that is the goal for which the wretched men must run for their lives. And now all seems ready and we stand on our tiptoes while the balls and chains are knocked off and the captives are set free. At a word one of the doomed men starts, the rifles with unerring aim are fired and under the cover of smoke a man falls dead. They reload, the word is given, anotherstarts with a bound for home; but ah! the aim of those clear-sighted, bloodthirsty red men is too deadly; and one after another until four men are down. And then at last, "Little Six"-- whom at that distance, we children readily recognize, from his commanding height and graceful form; he is our friend and we hope he will get home. He starts, they fire, the smoke clears away and still he is running, we clap our hands and say "he will get home;" but another volley and our favorite, almost at the goal, springs into the air and comes down--Dead! I cover my face and shed tears of real sorrow for our friend. And now follows a scene that beggars description. The bodies, all warm and limp, are dragged to the brow of the hill. Men who at the sight of blood, became almost fiends, tear off the reeking scalps and hand them to the chief, who hangs them around his neck. Women and children with tomahawks and knives cut deep gashes in the poor dead bodies and scooping up the hot blood with their hands, eagerly drink it; then grown frantic, they dance and yell and sing their horrid scalp songs, recounting deeds of valor on the part of their brave men and telling of the Sioux scalps taken in different battles, until tired and satiated at last with their horrid feast, they leave the mutilated bodies festering in the sun. At nightfall they are thrown over the bluff into the river, and my brother and myself, awe struck an quiet ,trace their hideous voyage down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. We lie awake that night talking of the dreadful sight we have seen and we try to imagine what the people of New Orleans will think when they see those ghastly upturned faces, and we talk with quivering lips and tearful eyes of "Little Six" and of the many kind things he has done for us, the bows and arrows, the mocanks of sugar, the pretty beaded moccasins, he has given us; and we wish, oh! we wish, he could have run faster or that the Chippewas rifles had misfired. And we sleep and dream of scalps and rifles and war whoops and frightful yells and wake, wishing it had been a dream. Next day the dying chief sat up in his bed, painted himself for death, singing his death song and with those five fresh, bloody scalps about his neck lay down and died, calmly and peacefully, in the comfortable hope, no doubt, of a welcome in those "Happy hunting grounds," prepared by the "Great Spirit," for all those Indians who are faithful to their friends and avenge themselves upon their foes. A few years ago I told this story to another "Little Six," "Old Shakopee", as he lay, with gyves upon is legs, in our guard house at Fort Snelling, awaiting execution for almost numberless cold-blooded murders, perpetrated during the dreaded massacre of '62. He remembered it all and his wicked old face lighted up with joy as he told me he was the son of that "Little Six" who made so brave a run for his life and he showed as much pride and pleasure in listening to the recital of his father's treacherous conduct as the children of our great generals will do some day. as they read or hear of deeds of bravery or daring that their fathers have done. * Taken from Mrs. Charlotte O. Van Cleve's article "A Reminiscence of Fort Snelling" written in 1869. From further research I found out that "Running the Gauntlet" didn't give the victim's much of a chance as they only gave them about a 30 yard head start. Also the Chief Shakopee, the one that was going to be executed for the massacre of '62, that Charlotte O. Van Cleve tanks about, is actually the grandson of the Chief Shakopee that ran the gauntlet. Shakopee II Shakopee, whose name means "Six" was another head man of the war of 1812 period. His home was on the St. Peter's or Minnesota River at the Little Rapids, where his name is still preserved in the name of the thriving town which has been built there. He appears to have been a bluffing, bullying fellow of low character. He signed the treaty of peace and friendship of 1815 and the boundary treaty of 1825.* In 1819 Shakopee met Forsyth at the mouth of the Minnesota and was exceedingly insolent. Major Forsyth says of him: "I did not like the countenance of Mr. Six. nor did I like his talk I gave him the remainder of my goods. yet the Six wanted more. Not having any more he had to do without. I found on inquiring that Mr. Six is a good-for-nothing fellow and rather gives bad counsel to his young men than otherwise."' He had a son named Little Six. who was among a party of Dakotas who in violation of a treaty just negotiated with the Chippewas massacred five of the Chippewas under the walls of Fort Snelling in 1825,* and being apprehended by Colonel Snelling, was with his companions turned over to the Chippewas for punishment. They were compelled to run the gauntlet and all five were killed.- A grandson, also called Little Six, was the most hideous monster in the outbreak of 1862 and paid the penalty of his deviltry on the gallows at Mankato.** Other chiefs of the period were Peneshon, who took his name from his grandfather, a French trader who at a very early date settled near the mouth of the Minnesota; the White Bustard, who lived near Peneshon; the Arrow, who lived near Mankato, and Killiew, the Eagle, who lived a little further up the Minnesota. They did little to distinguish themselves and no distinctive record of their doings has come to us. * The date should be 1827 **Actually he was hung at Fort Snelling in 1865. The Shakpay Dynasty SHAKPAY (Six) or Shakpadan (Little Six), generally written "Shakpe" after whom the City of Shakopee takes its name, was a prominent Chief of a Mdewakanton band of Dakotas, whose village, called Tintonwan (Prairieville), was situated about a mile east of that city. A famous spring, which gushes at once in a small river of excellent water from the head of a stubby ravine, marks the site. In the old days when Chief Shakpe ruled the land, the trader, Oliver Faribault, lived on one side of the spring, the missionary, Samuel W. Pond, on the other, and the Chief and his followers resided in the bark huts and skin lodges scattered all about. All drank of the spring in amity, for there were no government lines or surveys to quarrel over. In his book "Two Volunteer Missionaries", S. W. Pond, Jr., states that "The Prairieville band consisted at the time of about six hundred persons. It was noted for the turbulent character of its men, and the Chief prided himself on the length of that line of Chiefs of which he was practically the last representative." He adds, "Chief Shakpe was a man of marked ability in council and one of the ablest and most effective orators in the whole Dakota Nation." He is said to have possessed a wonderful voice. Stepping outside his lodge on an evening and standing alone in the middle of the camp, he would deliver a speech while his warriors, sitting inside their tepees, heard distinctly every word he said. He was fond of putting his thoughts into epigrammatic forms which were- long remembered by his people. As a sample the missionary quotes from this Dakota Solomon: "No man who was absent from a battle but would have been brave had he been there; no man absent from a council, but would have been wise had he been there." He signed the Traverse Des Sioux Treaty in 1851 and went to Washington with the other Chiefs in 1858 to sign the treaty of that year. He and his band removed to the Sioux Reservation in 1853 and were assigned a location about a mile west of the mouth of the Red Wood River. Shakpe was always a friend of the white people and opposed to any action by his own people which would jeopardize the peaceful relations existing between them and the whites Those who knew the chief say that if he had been living the Massacre of 1862 would not have occurred. When he died in the summer of 1860, his inadequate son. Eat-o-ka (Another Language), succeeded his father as chief but in name only. Hockokaduta (Red Middle Voice), a brother of old Shakpe, and able villain, became the real leader of most of the band, and the son was regarded as a mere cypher. Hockokaduta had been a rival of old Shakpe in his lifetime when he had led away a number of the most demoralized members of the band and established a separate village of his own at the mouth of Rice Creek. It was two of Mazomani's old Carver band, Hdinapi and Wampupidan, who had married into this renegade portion of Shakpe's band, and who, therefore, were counted among the Mdewakanton's, who with two other young bloods of the Rice Creek band, were the first to imbrue their hands in the blood of the whites at Acton on Sunday, August 17th, 1862. Hockokaduta took up their cause and really instigated the great Massacre. Because he himself lacked status as a Chief as well as prestige among the Indians, he and his followers forced Little Crow to become their leader. S. W. Pond says that it was Shakpe's band under the instigation of Hockokaduta, and not the Kaposia band of Little Crow, who were responsible both for the inception and execution of that bloody work. It was mostly the members of this same Rice Creek band who scattered through the white settlements committing their outrages without regard to age or sex. The thirty-eight later hanged at Mankato were largely of his band, including the notorious old villain, Cut Nose. It was to Hochokaduta's Village at the mouth of Rice Creek that the "hostiles" first retreated after their last defeat at New Ulm. Here, according to Mrs. DeCamp, the miller's wife who was one of the captives, were gathered about 1,000 lodges. An immense council chamber was erected by uniting a number of lodges together, and a big United States flag, which they had captured at the agency, was put on a tall pole over it. They remained at this place until a day or two after the battle of Birch Cooley, when they moved west in a train two or three miles long. After their defeat at Wood Lake, Hochokadota his nephew, Little Six, and Medicine Bottle, a degenerate nephew of the old Chief of that name, fled north with Little Crow and with them went most of the most flagrant accomplices.That winter Hockokaduta and his whole family were exterminated by the Chippewas. In January, 1864, Major Hatch managed to kidnap Shakpe No. 2* and Medicine Bottle No. 2 in Canada, whence they had fled. They were tried by a Court Martial at Fort Snelling, both condemned, and given hemp medicine - considered a just retribution for their many crimes. We have not heard that even their spirits have since troubled the old round stone tower at the fort. *Actually it was Shakpe No. 3, there might have been more than 3, but only 3 of them have been documented in written history. Recollection's of Shakpay II by Samuel W. Pond from his book, " The Dakota or Sioux as they were in 1834" Shapaydan or Shakpay (Little Six), of the Tintatonwan band, whose summer village was near Shakopee was perhaps the most widely known of the Medawakantonwan chiefs. At the same time he was the most difficult to describe so as to enable one not acquainted with him to form a correct idea of his character. Indeed, those who knew him best were often puzzled to know what to think of him. He certainly came near being a great man, and yet was a very mean one. In some respects he stood at the head of the Dakota chiefs, and in other respects he was the most despicable of them all. He was at the same time admired and despised by all that knew him. As a speaker in council he had no equal among his contemporary Chiefs. But while the advice he gave was generally good, the example set by him was often pernicious. He was of a nervous, excitable temperament, and had none of that excessive caution and dignified reserve so common among Indians, and especially among Indian Chiefs. He had moreover as little regard for appearances as any Dakota man I ever knew. He was not remarkably malicious or revengeful and was easily reconciled to those who had offended him. At times he appeared magnanimous, and some of his speeches contained sage Counsel and noble sentiments; but falsehood and truth were both alike to him, and he was often detected in the commission of petty thefts, such as few Dakota men would have been guilty of, and most of the women would have been ashamed of. It is nothing new for a man to speak well and behave ill, to reason wisely and act foolishly, but the eccentricities and contradictions in Shakpay's character were certainly remarkable. By all who knew him well, he was regarded with feelings both of admiration and contempt. The style of his oratory will be noticed in another place. He was not held in very high esteem as a warrior, and it was said that he showed more audacity in council than in battle. His son, who was executed at Fort Snelling in 1865, had hardly sense enough to be responsible for his deeds and inherited none but the meanest traits of his father's character. Shakpay died before the massacre of the whites; if he had been living at that time, he might perhaps have prevented it, for his influence with his people was great and he always advocated the cultivation of peace and friendship with the white people. He sometimes alarmed the timid by the use of threatening language, but never seemed disposed to do serious injury to any one. With all his faults, he was neither quarrelsome nor vindictive. While his son who succeeded him was a cipher, without character or influence, Shakpay had a brother, a rival named Hoehokaduta, a bold bad man, who gathered a strong party around him during Shakpay's lifetime and had the chief control of the band after he was dead. The first murders in August, 1862, were committed by two or three men belonging to Hoehokaduta's party. When they reported to him what they had done, he decided to carry on the work which they had begun and called on Little Crow for help. Little Crow being well known, and Hoehokaduta not being recognized as a Chief, it was natural for the whites to look upon the former as the leader of the murderers, and indeed he was the only chief among them who had any influence. Still Hoehokaduta was an abler man than he, and brought much the stronger force into the field. The Shakpay band, not that of Kaposia, was mainly responsible both for the inception and the execution of that bloody work. After the massacre Hoehokaduta fled north, but in the course of the following winter he and all his family were slain by Ojibways. Members of the Shakpay family had held the chieftains through many generations, and their band was the strongest among the Medawakantonwans. *SHAK-CO-PEE; THE ORATOR OF THE SIOUX. SHAKOPEE (or SIX) is one of the chiefs of the Dahcotahs; his village is about twenty-five miles from Fort Snelling. He belongs to the bands that are called Men-da-wa-can-ton, or People of the Spirit Lakes. No one who has lived at Fort Snelling can ever forget him, for what house has he not called to shake hands and smoke; is to say he is a great chief; and that he is hungry and must eat before he starts for home. If the hint is not immediately acted upon, he adds that the sun is dying fast, and it is time for him to set out. Shah-co-pee is not so tall or fine looking as Bad Hail, nor has he the fine Roman features of old Man in the Cloud. His face is decidedly ugly; but there is an expression of intelligence about his quick black eye and fine forehead, that makes him friends, notwithstanding his many troublesome qualities. At present he is in mourning; his face is painted black. He never combs his hair, but wears a black silk handkerchief tied across his forehead. When he speaks he uses a great deal of gesture, suiting the action to the word. His hands, which are small and well formed, are black with dirt; he does not descend to the duties of the toilet. He is the orator of the Dahcotahs. No matter how trifling the occasion he talks well; and assumes an air of importance that would become him if he were discoursing on matters of life and death. Some years ago, our government wished the Chippewas and Dahcotahs to conclude a treaty of peace among themselves. Frequently have these two bands made peace, but rarely kept it any length of time. On this occasion many promises were made on both sides; promises which would be broken by some inconsiderate young warrior before long, and then retaliation must follow. Shah-co-pee has great influence among the Dahcotahs, and he was to come to Fort Snelling to be present at the council of peace. Early in the morning he and about twenty warriors left their village on the banks of the St. Peters, for the Fort. When they were very near, so that their actions could be distinguished, they assembled in their canoes, drawing them close together, that they might hear the speech which their chief was about to make them. They raised the stars and stripes, and their own flag, which is a staff adorned with feathers from the war eagle; and the noon-day sun gave brilliancy to their gay dresses, and the feathers and ornaments that they wore. Shah-co-pee stood straight and firm in his canoe-and not the less proudly that the walls of the Fort towered above him. "My boys," he said (for thus he always addressed his men), "the Dahcotahs are all braves; never has a coward been known among the People of the Spirit Lakes. Let the women and children fear their enemies, but we will face our foes, and always conquer. "We are going to talk with the white men; our great Father wishes us to be at peace with our enemies. We have long enough shed the blood of the Chippewas; we have danced round their scalps, and our children have kicked their heads about in the dust. What more do we want? When we are in council, listen to the words of the Interpreter as he tells us what our great Father says, and I will answer him for you; and when we have eaten and smoked the pipe of peace, we will return to our village." The chief took his seat with all the importance of a public benefactor. He intended to have all the talking to himself, to arrange matters according to his own ideas; but he did it with the utmost condescension, and his warriors were satisfied. Besides being an orator, Shah-co-pee is a beggar, and one of a high order too, for he will neither take offense nor a refusal, Tell him one day that you will not give him pork and floor, and on the next he returns, nothing daunted, shaking hands, and asking for pork and floor. He always gains his point, for you are obliged to give in order to get rid of him. He will take up his quarters at the Interpreter's, and come down upon you every day for a week just at meal time-and as he is always blessed with a ferocious appetite, it is much better to capitulate, come to terms by giving him what he wants, and let him go. And after he has once started, ten to one if he does not come back to say he wants to shoot and bring you some ducks; you must give him powder and shot to enable him to do so. That will probably be the last of it. It was a beautiful morning in June when we left Fort Snelling to go on a pleasure party up the St. Peters, in a steamboat, the first that bad ever ascended that river. There were many drawbacks in the commencement, as there always are on occasions. The morning was rather cool, thought some, and as they hesitated about going, of course their toilets were delayed to be last moment. And when all were fairly in the boat, wood was yet to he found. then something was the matter with one of the wheels-and the mothers were almost sorry they had consented to come ; while the children, frantic with joy, were in danger of being drowned every moment, by the energetic movements they made near the sides of the boat, by way of indicating their satisfaction at the state of things. In the cabin, extensive preparations were making in case the excursion brought on an appetite. Everybody contributed loaf upon loaf of bread and cake; pies, coffee and sugar; cold meats of every description; with milk and cream in bottles. Now and then, one of these was broken or upset, by way of adding to the confusion, which was already intolerable. Champagne and old Cognac were brought by the young gentlemen, only for fear the ladies should be sea-sick; or, perhaps, in case the gentlemen should think it positively necessary to drink the ladies' health. When we thought all was ready, there was still another delay. Shah-co-pee and two of his warriors were seen corning down the hill, the chief making an animated appeal to some one on board the boat; and as be reached the shore he gave us to understand that his business was concluded, and that lie would like to go with us. But it was very evident that he considered his company a favor. The bright son brought warmth, and we sat on the upper deck admiring the beautiful shores of the St. Peter's. Not a creature was to be seen for some distance on this banks, and the birds as they flew over our heads seemed to be the fit and only inhabitants of such a region. When tired of admiring he scenery, there was enough to employ us. The table was to be set for dinner; the children had already found out which basket contained the cake, and they were casting admiring looks towards it. When we were all assembled to partake of some refresh-mounts, it was delightful to find that there were not enough chairs for half the party. We borrowed each other's knives and forks too, and etiquette, that petty tyrant of society, retired from the scene. Shak-co-pee found his way to the cabin, where he manifested strong symptoms of shaking hands over again; in order to keep him quiet, we gave him plenty to eat. How be seemed to enjoy a piece of cake that had accidentally dropped into the oyster-soup! and with equal gravity would be eat apple-pie and ham together. And time his cry of "wakun "* when the cork flew from the champagne bottle across the table! *Mysterious How happily the day passed-bow few such days occur in the longest life ! As Shak-co-pee's village appeared in sight, the chief addressed Col. D------ who was at that time in command of Fort Snelling assisted him why we bad come on such an excursion. " To escort you home" was the ready reply; "you are a great chief, and worthy of being honored, and we have chosen this as the best way of showing our respect and admiration of you." The Dahocta chief believed all; he never for a moment thought there was anything like jesting on the subject of his own high merits ; his face beamed with delight on receiving such a compliment. The men and women of the village crowded on time shore as the boat landed, as well they might, for a steamboat was a new sight to them. The chief sprang from the boat, and swelling with pride and self admiration be took the most conspicuous station on a rock near the shore, among his people, and made them a speech. We could but admire his native eloquence. Here, with all that is wild in nature surrounding him, did the untaught orator address his people. His lips gave rapid utterance to thoughts which did honor to his feelings, when we consider who and what he was. He told them that the white people were their friends; that they wished them to give up murder and intemperance, and to live quietly and happily. They taught them to plant corn, and they were anxious to instruct their children. "When we are suffering," said he, "during the cold weather, from sickness or want of food, they give us medicine and bread" And finally he told them of the honor that had been paid him. "I went, as you know, to talk with the big Captain of the Fort , and he, knowing the bravery of the Dahcotahs, and that I was a great chief, has brought me home, as you see. Never has a Dahcotah warrior been thus honored!" Never indeed! But we took care not to undeceive him. It was a harmless error and as no efforts on our part could have diminished his self importance, we listened with apparent , indeed with real admiration of his eloquent speech. The women brought ducks on board and in exchange we gave then bread; and it was evening as we watched the last tepees of Shak-co-pee's village fade away in the distance. But sorrow mingles with the remembrance of that bright day. One of those who contributed most to its pleasures is gone from us---one whom all esteemed and many loved; and justly, for never beat a kinder or a nobler heart. Shak-co-pee has looked rather grave lately. There is trouble in the wig-wam.The old chief is the husband of three wives and they and their children are always fighting. The first wife is as old as the hills, wrinkled and haggard; the chief cares no more for her than he does for the stick of wood she is chopping. She quarrels with everybody but him, and this prevents her from being quite forgotten. The day of the second wife is past too, it is of no use for her to plait her hair and put on her ornaments; for the old chief's heart is wrapped up in his third wife. The girl did not love him, how could she? and he did not succeed in talking her into the match, but induced the parents to sell her to him and the young wife went weeping to the tee-pee of the chief. Hers was a sad fate. She hated her husband as much as he loved her. No presents would reconcile her to her situation. The two forsaken wives never ceased annoying her and their children assisted them. The young wife had not the courage to resent their ill treatment, for the of her lover had broken her heart. But that lover did not seem to be in such despair as she was--he did quit the village or drown himself or commit any act of desperation. He lounged and smoked as much as ever. On occasion when Shak-co-pee was absent from the village the lovers met. They had to look well around them, for the two old wives were always on the look out for something to tell of the young one; but there was no one near. The wind whistled keenly round the bend of the river as the Dahcotah told the weeping girl to listen to him. When had she refused ? How she longed to hear the sound of his voice when wearied to death with the long boastings of the old chief. Bur how did her heart beat when Red Stone told her that he loved her still--that he had been waiting an opportunity to induce her to leave her old husband and go with him far away. She hesitated a little, but not long and when Shak-co-pee returned to his tee-pee his young wife was gone--no one had seen her depart--no one knew where to seek for her . When the old man heard that Red Stone was gone too, his rage knew no bounds. He beat his two wives almost to death and would have given his handsomest pipe-stem to have seen the faithless one again. His passion did not last long; it would have killed him if it had. His wives moaned all through the night , bruised and bleeding, for the fault of their rival; while the chief had recourse to the pipe, the never-failing refuge of the Dahcotah. "I thought," said the chief, "that some calamity was going to happen to me" (for being more composed, he began to talk to other Indians who sat with him in his tee-pee, somewhat after the manner and in the spirit of Job's friends), " I saw Unk-a-tahe, the great fish of the water, and it showed its horns; and we know that is always a sign of trouble." "Ho!" replied an old medicine man, "I remember when Unk-a-tahe got in under the falls" (of St. Anthony) "and broke up the ice. The large pieces of ice went swiftly down and the water forced its way until it was frightful to see it. The trees near the shore were thrown down and the small islands were left bare. Near Fort Snelling there was a house where a white man and his wife lived. The woman heard the noise and waking her husband , ran out; but he did not follow her quickly enough, the house was soon afloat and he was drowned." There was an Indian camp near this house, for the body of Wonena, the sick girl who carried over the falls, was found here. It was placed on a scaffold on the shore, near where the Indians found her and Checkered Cloud moved her tee-pee, to be near her daughter. Several other Dahcotah families were also near her. But what was their fright when they heard the ice breaking and the waters roaring as they carried everything before them? The father of Wonena clung to his daughter's scaffold and no entreaties of his wife or others could induce him to leave. "Unk-a-tahe has done this," cried the old man, "and I care not. He carried my sick daughter under the waters, and he may bury me there too." And while the others fled from the power of Un-a-tahe, the father and mother clung to the scaffold of their daughter. They were saved and they lived by the body of Wonena until they buried her. The power of Unk-a-tahe is great! so spoke the medicine man and Shak-co-pee almost forgot his loss in the fear and admiration of the monster deep, the terror of Dahcotahs. He will do well to forget the young wife altogether; for she is far away, making moccasins for the man she loves. She rejoices at her escape from the old man and his two wives, while he is always making speeches to his men, commencing by saying he is a great chief and ending with the assertion that Red Stone should have respected his old age and not have stolen from him the only wife he loved. Shak-co-pee came, a few days ago, with twenty other warriors, some of them chiefs, on a visit to the commanding officer of Fort Snelling. The Dahcotahs had heard that the Winnebagoes were about to be removed and that they were to pass through their hunting grounds on the way to their future homes. They did not approve of this arrangement. Last summer the Dahcotahs took some scalps of the Winnebagoes and it was decided at Washington that the Dahcotahs should pay four thousand dollars of their annuities as an atonement for the act. This caused much suffering among the Dahcotahs; fever was making great havoc among them and to deprive them of their flour and other articles of food was only enfeebling their constitutions and rendering them an easy prey for disease. The Dahcotahs thought this very hard at the time; they have not forgotten the circumstances and think they ought to be consulted before their lands are made a thoroughfare by their enemies. They accordingly assembled and accompanied by the Indian agent and the interpreter came to Fort Snelling to make their complaint. When they were all seated, (all on the floor but one, who looked most uncomfortable, mounted on a high chair), the agent introduced the subject and it was discussed for awhile; the Dahcotah paying the most profound attention, although they could not understand a word of what was passing; and when there was a few moments silence, the chiefs rose each in his turn to protest against the Winnebagoes passing through their country. They all spoke sensibly and well; and when one finished , the others all intimated their approval by crying "Ho!" as a kind of a chorus. After a while Shak-co-pee rose; his manner said "I am Sir Oracle." He shook hands with the commanding officer, with the agent and interpreter and then with some strangers who were visiting the fort. His attitude was perfectly erect as he addressed the officer. "We are the children of our great Father, the president of the United States; look upon us, for we are your children too. You are placed here to see that the Dahcotahs are protected, that their rights are not infringed upon." While the Indians cried Ho! Ho! with great emphasis, Shak-co-pee shook hands all round again and then resumed his place and speech. "Once the country all belonged to the Dahcotahs. Where had the white man a place to call his own on our prairies? He could not even pass through our country without our permission! "Our great father has signified to us that he wants our lands. We have sold some of them to him and we our content to do so, but he has promised to protect us, to be a friend to us, to take care of as a father does of his children." "When the white man wishes to visit us, we open the door of our country to him; we treat him with hospitality. He looks at our rocks, or river, our trees and we do not disturb him. The Dahcotah and the white man are friends. "But the Winnebagoes are not our friends, we suffered for them long ago; our children wanted food; our wives were sick; they could not plant corn or gather the Indian potato. Many of our nation died; their bodies are now resting on their scaffolds. The night birds clap their wings as the winds howl over them! " "And we are told that our great father will let the Winnebagoes make a path through our hunting grounds; they will subsist upon our game; every bird or animal they kill will be a loss to us." "The Dahcotah's lands are not free to others. If our great Father wishes to make any use of our lands he should pay us. We object to the Winnebagoes passing through our country; but if is too late to prevent this, then we demand a thousand dollars for every village they shall pass." Ho! cried the Indians again and Shak-co-pee, after shaking hands once more, took his seat I doubt if you will ever get the thousand dollars a village, Shak-co-pee; but I like the spirit that induces you to demand it. May you live long to make speeches and beg bread--the unrivaled orator and most notorious beggar of the Dahcotahs. *This article was taken from Mary Eastman's book "Dahcotah, Life and Legends of the Sioux" In the book "Citdal in the Wilderness" it says Shakopee was the largest of the Sioux settlements. It also says "Although considered the eastern Sioux's best orator, Shakopee was generally branded a good-for-nothing whose example was aptly to be the opposite of any good advice he gave." In Dahkotah; or Life and Legends of the Sioux around Fort Snelling, Mary Henderson Eastman, a fastidious and not unromantic army wife, called Shakopee "decidedly ugly; but there is an expression of intelligence about his quick black eye and fine forehead, that makes him friends, notwithstanding his many troublesome qualities...He never combs his hair, but wears a black silk handkerchief tied across his forehead...His hands, which are small and well formed [a Sioux characteristic] are black with dirt; he does not descend to the duties of the toilet." Oct 20, 1860 Scott Co. Democrat From the Pioneer and Democrat; Death of an Indian Chief- We learn that Shakopee; Chief of one of the divisions of the Medawatonwan or Spirit Lake Sioux, died at the Sioux agency, Redwood, one day last week. Shakopee had attained the advanced age, at the time of his death being nearly ninety years old. The nominal chief of the tribe to which Shakopee belonged, is the distinguished Wapayshaw or Wabashaw, still living and the last survivor of a coterie of chiefs who played a conspicuous part in the early settlement of the northwest. Shakopee, a tribe member about four hundred at this time. He was much loved by the members of his tribe and will be succeeded in his position by his son. The town of Shakopee, on the Minnesota river, named after the chief, will transfer his name to posterity. His son's name is "The Other Speech." This article was written by Charles E. Flandrau about the Medicine man in April of 1898. He was writing about Shakpay No. 2. Now, it is easy to understand how the medicine man can humbug his patients. We see this every day in civilized life. But how the medicine man can be humbugged in the same way is difficult to understand. But such is undoubtedly the case. When an old friend of mine, named Shakopee, who was a medicine man, became sick at the Redwood Agency, I sent my doctor down to see him. I was represented by Dr. Daniels, now one of the most prominent physicians in the state, living at St. Peter. He reported that he was sick with typhoid fever and that all he needed was good nursing, good food, and rest. I had the facilities for all these conditions and sent an ambulance to bring him to my agency. But he positively refused and had the medicine man drum and rattle beans over him until he died. Now, this has always been to me a problem; do these savages actually believe in their medicine, and that they get gunlocks, snakes, frogs and such things out of their patients? or would they rather die under the same treatment than confess their frauds by accepting civilized methods. I confess that I have never been able to solve the problem and when my old friend Shakopee stuck to the barbaric treatment unto death, I rather inclined to the opinion that they were really in earnest. It is an interesting question, and having given the facts, I turn the physchological part of it over to the thinkers. SPORTS When the Dakotas are not busy with war, or the chase, or the feasts and dances of their religion, time hangs heavily, and they either sleep or resort to some game to keep up an excitement. One of their games is like "Hunt the Slipper ;" a bullet or plum stone is placed by one party in one of four moccasins or mittens and sought for by the opposite. There is also the play of "plum stones." At this game much is often lost and won. Eight plum stones are marked with certain devices. This game is played by young men and females. If, after shaking in a bowl, stones bearing certain devices turn up, the game is won. The favorite and most exciting game of the Dakotas is ball playing. It appears to be nothing more than a game which was often played by the writer in school-boy days, and which was called "shinny." A smooth place is chosen on the prairie or frozen river or lake. Each player has a stick, three or four feet long and crooked at the lower end, with deer strings tied across forming a sort of a pocket. The ball is made of a rounded knot of wood or clay covered with hide, and is supposed to possess supernatural qualities.. Stakes are set at a distance of a quarter or half mile, as bounds. Two parties are then formed, and the ball being thrown up in the center, the contest is for one party to carry the ball from the other beyond one of the bounds. Two or three hundred men are sometimes engaged at once. On a summer's day, to see them rushing to and fro, painted in divers colors, with no article of apparels with feathers in their heads, bells around their wrists, and fox and wolf tails dangling behind, is a wild and noisy spectacle. The eye-witnesses among the Indians become more interested in the success of one or the other of the parties than any crowd at a horse race, and frequently stake their last piece of property on the issue of the gain. Last summer, on one Sunday morning, SHAHPAY or LITTLE SIX'S band moved down to Oak Grove, the residence of GIDEON N. POND, late editor of the 'Dakota Friend ' to play ball against the three bands of GOOD ROADS, SKY MAN, and GREY IRON. He thus describes the scene: "On Sunday, July, 13th, 1852, Slx's band moved down to Oak Grove, previous arrangements having been made, to play against the three bands of GOOD ROAD, SKY MAN, and GRAY IRON. The next day the game came off. The property bet was sixteen guns, six of which were double-barrels; eight horses and blankets, calicoes, belts, garters, die., without number worth at least $800. This was met by the same, or what was of equal value, by the other party making the whole amount staked on the game $1,600. Not far from two hundred and fifty men and boys joined in the play, and the spectators numbered between two and three hundred. SIX'S band won the prize. Two more games were played, the both of which were also won by SIX'S band, but the amount of property staked on the last two games was much less than that named above, say $1,000 for the two, which makes $2,600, and then they adjourned till next day. "Tuesday, 16th- At 11 o'clock the ball was again set in motion, and the stake was taken by those who lost yesterday; and on the second game, that which was lost on the first game yesterday, was recovered by GOOD ROAD, SKY MAN and GREY IRON. The success today, was attributed to the wakon virtues of the ball which was used. It was made long ago by the old War-prophet, EHAKERU, formerly of WABASHIAW'S band; the same who fired the old council-house at St. Peters, some years ago. Near the close of the play, VISIBLE MOUTH, a young "Medicine-man," received a blow from a ball club on his side immediately over the place where the Medicine-god lies in him, which felled him to the earth. It was said that the god was stupefied by the blow; but was soon reanimated by the wakon applications of the Medicine-men present After the victors had challenged SIX to play another game tomorrow, they adjourned to the lodges to dispatch a barrel of pork, two kegs of lard and ten sacks of corn, (which SKY MAN'S farmer had just arrived with from the Agency,) and make up the stake for to-morrow. Wednesday, 16th, 10 o'clock. Parties met. Present the same as yesterday, viz: Six against GOOD ROAD, SKY MAN and GREY IRON. Guns, blankets, coats, Calicoes, tomahawks, pipes, beads, garters, belts, Ect, to the value of $300 or $400 were tied up, and the ball started Six lost and the stake was renewed. Six lost again; but while a new stake was being made up a dispute arose between the parties concerning some of the properly which had been won from Six's band but which they kept back. They broke up in a row, as they usually do. GREY IRON'S band leaving the ground first, ostensibly for the reason above named, but really because SIX'S band had just been reinforced by the arrival of a company from LITTLE CROW'S band. Thus ended the ball play of three days continuance, during which time not less than $4,600 worth of property had been bet. How can Dakotas be otherwise than poor?"