Yesterday morning I watched the Dakota 38 film. The film was about a Jim Miller who had a vision or dream about 38 riders traveling east back to their homeland. Jim Miller decided to organize a ride with the help of others to conduct the ride for forgiveness, apologies, and heal the wounds in the relationship between Dakota Native Americans and American people. The ride was also to remember the 38 Dakota Native Americans who were hung a day after Christmas and to help reconnect the connections the Dakota people had with earth.
After watching the film I had no idea 38 Dakota Native Americans were hung in Mankato Minnesota. I have lived most of my life in Minnesota, yet I have never heard or learned about it in school. I was also shocked to hear Abraham Lincoln was the one who signed off on the 38 Dakota people being excited. In school we learn about how Abraham Lincoln was opposed of slavery and how he abolished slavery in the United States, but yet we never learn about any parts of his dark history. I thought to myself, how could a man be completely against slavery and have a high standards for the pursuit of happiness sign off on the execution? In the film they talked about Abraham Lincoln could have been pressured into signing the death of 38 Dakota people instead of the 300 original proposed to be excited, but yet if this is true. Abraham Lincoln should never have succumbed to the pressure from the American people and should have followed what he believed is right. Grant during that time there was alot of conflict between the Native and the United States, along with deaths on both sides.
blengel July 13, 2018
Jonathan it really really is tragic what happened to those 38 Dakota tribe members. They really didn’t deserve to be hung like that. They were just fighting for the betterment of their people. I thought it was terrible too how they set up the execution. All wrapped around a collapsible stage for everyone to see. I guess it’s kind of hard to do something like that in private, but still. I also was shocked to hear about Abe signing to kill these men. We also look back on him and see him as such a great hero, but the sad truth is, he still signed something to agree to kill 38 men. Maybe he was pressured, but I also believe that if he really didn’t want to do it, then he would have not signed. He was the president, he shouldn’t have to be persuaded into killing.