36 Facts About Little Crow

Little Crow III was a Mdewakanton Dakota chief who led a faction of the Dakota in a five-week war against the United States in 1862.

Little Crow played a pivotal role in signing the 1851 Treaty of Mendota which ceded most of their lands in present-day Minnesota and Iowa to the United States.

In 1858, Little Crow led a delegation of Dakota leaders to Washington, DC, where they were pressured by the US government to give up their remaining holdings north of the upper Minnesota River.

Little Crow pointed out the futility of fighting against the "white men," but finally agreed to lead them.

Little Crow pledged to die with them and triggered the massacre of hundreds of settlers, as well as the capture of nearly 300 "mixed-blood" and white hostages, almost all women.

Little Crow met significant opposition from many Dakota, particularly farmers and Christian converts, who preferred to maintain peace with the United States, objected to the killing of civilians, and wanted to free the captives.

Little Crow hoped to gain support from other Native American tribes, as well as the British in Canada.

Little Crow was shot and killed on July 3,1863, by two settlers, a father and son.

The state paid the father $500 for killing Little Crow, and paid the son $75 for his scalp.

In 1971, the society finally returned Little Crow's remains to the Wakeman family for proper burial at the First Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.

Little Crow was one of at least ten boys born to Big Thunder Little Crow II and his three wives.

Little Crow grew up with a physiological oddity, a double row of teeth.

Little Crow was said to have been forced out because some men had threatened to kill him for having had affairs with their wives.

Little Crow moved further west and settled in Lac qui Parle where he married the four daughters of Inyangmani, a Wahpeton chief, with whom he would have at least twenty more children.

Little Crow was taken back to Kaposia to see the medicine man.

However, historian Return Ira Holcombe, who compiled eyewitness testimony from at least nine other sources including members of Little Crow's family, wrote that Sibley's claim conflicted with all other accounts of Big Thunder's death, which stated that Taoyateduta was more than 200 miles away at the time of his father's death; that he did not learn of his father's death until at least two weeks later; and that he did not return to Kaposia from Lac qui Parle until months afterwards.

Little Crow had organized a large group of friends and relatives to accompany him, including Mdewakantons such as his cousin Lorenzo Lawrence, a "full-blood" Dakota whose family were Christian converts; several Wahpetons; and three of his wives.

Little Crow was taken to see the surgeon at Fort Snelling, who recommended amputation, which Taoyateduta refused.

Little Crow returned to Kaposia where he was attended by shamans.

Little Crow's wrists remained deformed, his hands hung awkwardly from them, and he always covered them.

Little Crow never regained the total use of his fingers.

Little Crow enlisted the help of Indian agent Amos Bruce, who organized temperance pledges at Kaposia.

Little Crow himself took the pledge for seven months and became a strong advocate of sobriety.

Once he arrived, he discovered that Little Crow had persuaded the village elders to accept missionaries because of Williamson's medical background, which would have many benefits, including securing vaccinations for smallpox.

Little Crow valued the education he had received at the mission school in Lac qui Parle, and wanted a similar experience for his own children in Kaposia.

Little Crow threw his support behind the mission school in January 1849, but by the spring of 1849, even the chief and his supporters seemed to have lost interest, and stopped attending classes.

Little Crow supported his efforts and sent two of his children to live with Williamson, including his eldest son, Wowinape, and his daughter Emma.

Wowinape was two or three years old when he first entered the boarding school in 1849, but Little Crow temporarily withdrew him, explaining that some villagers had threatened to poison his son if he were permitted to stay with the missionaries.

Furthermore, Little Crow was believed to have been involved in at least one incident of stealing furs from a lodge of Ojibwe who had been found hunting on Dakota lands.

In 1851, Little Crow played a pivotal role in negotiating the Treaty of Mendota, which stated that the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute bands would receive US$1,410,000, most of which would be held in trust and paid in annuities, for ceding their lands to the US government.

Little Crow was present at Traverse des Sioux and signed the Mendota treaty, by which the bands agreed to move to land set aside along the Minnesota River to the west of their traditional territory.

Little Crow tried to adapt to customs of the United States.

Little Crow visited President James Buchanan in Washington, DC, replaced his native clothing with trousers and jackets with brass buttons, joined the Episcopal Church, and took up farming.

Little Crow was wounded by cannon fire in the second attack on Fort Ridgely, and did not join the attack on New Ulm.

Little Crow wounded the elder Lamson, but was mortally shot by both Lamson and his son.

In 1971, the Society returned Little Crow's remains to his grandson Jesse Wakeman for burial.