By Chandra Colvin/MPR News
Last year, two rides marked the revival of the famous reconciliation ride, honoring the 38 Dakota men hanged in Mankato on Dec. 26, 1862. Two additional men were hanged at Fort Snelling in 1865. The rides begin in both South Dakota and Nebraska, and end in Mankato.
However, another journey honoring the Dakota women of 1862 finished its fourth year in Mankato this year.
“We have always heard of our women that wept at the gallows,” said Gaby Strong, who organized the Dakota Omani, meaning “Dakota Travel” in English. Strong says Dakota Omani was purposefully named to welcome Indigenous communities to participate in the journey, whether they ride horseback, travel on foot or drive their vehicles.
Dakota Omani begins in Morton near Birch Coulee Battlefield in southwest Minnesota and ends at Land of Memories Park in Mankato. It spans over a total of four days, where “every step is a prayer” for the women who witnessed the hanging in 1862 and were later marched to Fort Snelling.
I joined Dakota Omani travelers earlier in the week, before their four-day journey to Mankato began. Out of respect for ceremony, I did not photograph or record the gatherings.
Setting intentions for the journey
I joined Dakota Omani on Monday, before the journey began. An evening meal was held in Morton at the Native-led nonprofit, Dakota Wicohan. The organization has a range of language, leadership and cultural lifeways programs, including a youth horse program called Sunktanka Wicayuhapi, or We Care for the Horses.
Tables and chairs filled two rooms within the building. In an open atrium between the rooms, more tables were lined with food, drinks and disposable plates and silverware.
Local members of the Lower Sioux Indian Community, located just a few miles from Morton, helped prepare the meal. The dinner consisted of beef, bread, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and fruit salad — the kind with marshmallows and whipped cream.
I arrived before the 5 p.m. gathering and watched as travelers began to arrive one by one. While the journey commemorates and honors events surrounded by grief and solemnity, travelers greeted each other with enthusiasm and excitement. For some, it was a reunion.
I learned that several participants had participated in Dakota Omani since it started. Participants also learned more about the intentions of the journey on Monday evening.
Many participants I spoke with said they had already participated in the ride from South Dakota to Mankato, which is separate from the Dakota Omani. The Dakota Omani started not only as a way to remember the Dakota men who were hanged on Dec. 26, 1862, but also to commemorate the Dakota women who witnessed the hanging.
Strong said there was a commitment to hold Dakota Omani for four years as they sought those women’s names. This year would be the first in which their names would be read aloud alongside the Dakota men’s names at Land of Memories Park.
Strong shared with the group that there were 17 women total.
An elder stood to acknowledge everyone. He prayed for their meal and for the upcoming trip while encouraging participants to reflect on their participation.
Everyone listened attentively, including young children who were there with their parents. I noticed people of all ages came to participate in the journey, some appearing to be as young as two or three.
“Every step is a prayer,” was consistently repeated throughout the evening.
Ceremony and prayer
Dakota Omani travelers gathered for a morning ceremony near the Birch Coulee Battlefield on Tuesday. The historic site, surrounded by farmland and forest, is located a few miles from Morton’s main street.
According to the Minnesota Historical Society, the Battle of Birch Coulee is one of the “hardest-fought battles” during the U.S.-Dakota War. It’s where Dakota Omani has always marked its starting point.
A chilly morning met us with a fierce wind that felt like a sting on my cheeks. I arrived to watch as three youth saddled their horses, bundled up, and prepared for their first day of travel. The group made their way to the Fort Ridgley area on the first day.
Near the Battle of Birch Coulee historic site, a group gathered around a small fire for the ceremony. Many were bundled up from head to toe, wearing hats, mittens and some even wore snowpants. I had a chance to speak with a few whom I met the previous night. The mood of the ceremony was one of humility and thoughtfulness.
A prayer and song were shared. I was handed tobacco, a sacred medicine for ceremonial and healing purposes. We were told to hold it in our left hand and to place it into the fire before starting the journey, or to hold onto it and offer it to the earth along the way.
Once the morning ceremony began, it was short and to the point. Again, recording and photography were not allowed. Travelers were asked to be mindful and intentional of their participation in Dakota Omani.
The journey began with people following behind Strong, who carried a medicine bundle with Indigenous plant medicines. From what I observed, those walking on foot went first, followed by those on horseback. Participants who were joining in their cars followed last with their hazard lights turned on.
Before parting ways with Dakota Omani, I followed in my own car and took the time to reflect on all I witnessed and experienced. I can understand why there was to be no recording or photography, even travelers were told not to share anything on social media. Dakota Omani is meant to be a journey of prayer and ceremony.
On Friday morning, those who participated in Dakota Omani stopped at Reconciliation Park in Mankato for a ceremony before making their way to Land of Memories Park for the reading of the 17 Dakota women’s names:
Winuna RenvilleWasu Na Win
Maza yohomni Win
Cecile Tami-ye
Taga Maga
Pe Ya atke win
An e kiya win
Eci ti win
Wakan hde ze win
Wakanka
lye tonka win
Ta Maza Wastete
Wandu Tokca Win
Wankan mini win
An apu pte win
Tawiyaku
Maza mde ca win
