Near Churchill in Chippewa County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Dakotas at Lac qui Parle
Lac qui Parle Mission
Photographed By Connor Olson, June 29, 2021
1. Dakotas at Lac qui Parle Marker
Inscription.
Dakotas at Lac qui Parle. Lac qui Parle Mission. Tokanne (Mary Little Crow Renville) (1789-1840) was born a Kaposia Bdewakantuŋwan toward the end of the 18th century when tribes throughout the Midwest were actively developing kinship alliances via marriage into the Canadian fur trade community. Tokanne married Joseph Renville, who established a fur post, Fort Renville, at Lac qui Parle, making this place a second home for her Bdewakantuŋwan kin like Little Crow. Mary Tokanne was the first Dakota Christian. She died here in 1840 in her log-cabin home four and a half years after she and Joseph brought Christian missionaries to Lac qui Parle. At the time of her death, John Renville the youngest of her nine children, was nine years old. He grew up to be the first ordained Dakota pastor.
Joseph Renville (1779-1846) was raised a traditional Kaposia Bdewakantuŋwan by his mother and was later educated in French, business, and the Catholic faith in Canada by his father, whom he later replaced in the fur trade. Joseph sought a wife among his mother's people, marrying Mary Tokanne, and beginning to trade on the Upper Mississippi. In 1819, Renville followed fur trade opportunities west to the Upper Minnesota River, eventually establishing Fort Renville at Lac qui parle by the 1820s. His fluency in Dakota and western cultures benefited Renville and his relatives until the fur trade began declining. Renville brought Christian missionaries and their western lifeways to the region to help his relatives adapt. He died here, professing Christ, in 1846.
Anpetutokeça (c.1819–1869) a Wahpetunwan, was a member of Joseph Renville's soldiers' lodge. After the Treaty of 1858 and the death of his wife, he married a white woman, Roseanne. In 1862, known by the English name, John Otherday , Aŋpetutokeça was the leader of a band of Wahpetuŋwan on the Upper Reservation who farmed for subsistence, but did not belong to a Christian church. Otherday led Roseanne and 60 other settler refugees to safety in the 1862 War, then joined Sibley's army as a Scout, fighting alongside white soldiers at Wood Lake. He died of tuberculosis at Fort Wadsworth, Dakota Territory in 1869.
Tatidutawin (1803-1888) was a practitioner of herbal and spiritual medicine in the Wahpetu waŋ community here. She married Chatka, a Bdewakantuŋwan of the Little Crow family, who was a soldier for Joseph Renville. Tatidutawin, baptized Catherine in 1837, was the second Dakota Christian, following her sister-in-law Mary Tokanne Renville. Catherine was literate in Dakota and all four of her children learned Dakota and English. She moved to the Upper Sioux Reservation in 1854 where she and her son, Towaniteton Lorenzo Lawrence allied with the Peace Party in 1862. Catherine died in 1888 and is buried at Ascension, Sisseton, South Dakota.
Mazakutemani (C1806-1885) was a Wahpetunwaŋ soldier in Joseph Renville's soldiers' lodge when the missionaries arrived at Lac qui parle in 1835. He said that he was the first Dakota man to take up farming and put on white men's clothes. He took the name Little Paul Mazakutemani. By the 1850s, he had distinguished himself as the speaker for the Wahpetuŋwaŋ who were seeking permanent residence in Mni Sota Makoçe. Mazakutemani was the first President of the Hazlewood Republic and was the speaker for the Peace Party which opposed the U.S. Dakota War of 1862. He died at Long Hollow, Sisseton Reservation, in 1885.
Waŋbdiokiya (c.1803–1899), Paul Mazakutemani's brother, was a leader in the Wahpetuŋwaŋ Sacred Medicine Dance Society, and a soldier for his cousin Joseph Renville. He was one of the first Dakota men to become literate in Dakota and was the first employed to teach Dakota people to read and write Dakota. In 1854 he moved his village to the Upper Agency, where his wife and children were church members. Still living by traditional spiritual ways when the war broke out, in 1862 Waŋbdiokiya took his family to Canada rather than take sides in the conflict. Later, Waŋbdiokiya became a Christian, taking the English name Stephen Eagle Help. He died in Manitoba in 1899.
Towaniteton (C1822-1897) a Wahpetuŋwaŋ, and son of Tatidutawiŋ was baptized Lorenzo Lawrence and spent a year in Ohio in 1842-43 studying English and agriculture. When he returned, Lorenzo supported his cousin Little Crow's bid to take over leadership of the Kaposia band. In 1854, Lorenzo moved to the Hazlewood Republic on the Upper Reservation and became the first Dakota citizen of the State of Minnesota. In the 1862 War, Lorenzo helped 17 captives escape. He became a Federal Scout and was a founder of the Brown Earth Dakota Community. Lorenzo died on the Sisseton and Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota 1897.
Anawangmani (c.1813–1891) a Wahpetuŋwan, was the first Dakota man to become a Christian and was baptized Simon Anawangmani in 1841. His choice made him an outcast among his own people. He later became a leader among the Upper Dakota who sought to remain on their homelands via farming. He signed the Treaty of 1851, became an elder in the Presbyterian church, a leader in the Hazlewood Republic, and a member of the Peace Party during the 1862 war. Simon settled on the Sisseton and Wahpeton Reservation where he was ordained a pastor in 1866. He died in 1891 and is buried at Goodwill.
Taoyateduta, or Little Crow (c.1810-1863) is best known for his last role, as the Bdewakantuŋwan Dakota leader who agreed to lead the pro-war Dakotas in the U.S. Dakota War of 1862. The Kaposia- born future chief was a soldier in his uncle Joseph Renville's lodge when the missionaries began teaching the soldiers to read Dakota at Lac qui Parle the winter of 1835. Decades of marriage between Kaposia and Wahpetu waŋ people made all the Dakota people profiled on this panel kin. Taoyateduta was killed near Hutchinson, Minnesota, in 1863, and his remains were ultimately buried at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Tokanne (Mary Little Crow Renville) (1789-1840) was born a Kaposia
Bdewakantuŋwan toward the end of the 18th century when tribes
throughout the Midwest were actively developing kinship alliances via
marriage into the Canadian fur trade community. Tokanne married Joseph
Renville, who established a fur post, Fort Renville, at Lac qui Parle, making
this place a second home for her Bdewakantuŋwan kin like Little Crow.
Mary Tokanne was the first Dakota Christian. She died here in 1840 in her
log-cabin home four and a half years after she and Joseph brought Christian
missionaries to Lac qui Parle. At the time of her death, John Renville the
youngest of her nine children, was nine years old. He grew up to be the
first ordained Dakota pastor.
Joseph Renville (1779-1846) was raised a traditional Kaposia Bdewakantuŋwan
by his mother and was later educated in French, business, and the Catholic
faith in Canada by his father, whom he later replaced in the fur trade. Joseph
sought a wife among his mother's people, marrying Mary Tokanne, and
beginning to trade on the Upper Mississippi. In 1819, Renville followed fur
trade opportunities west to the Upper Minnesota River, eventually
establishing Fort Renville at Lac qui parle by the 1820s. His fluency in
Dakota and western cultures benefited
Click or scan to see this page online
Renville and his relatives until the
fur trade began declining. Renville brought Christian missionaries and
their western lifeways to the region to help his relatives adapt. He died
here, professing Christ, in 1846.
Anpetutokeça (c.1819–1869) a Wahpetunwan,
was a member of Joseph Renville's
soldiers' lodge. After the Treaty of 1858
and the death of his wife, he married
a white woman, Roseanne. In 1862,
known by the English name, John
Otherday , Aŋpetutokeça was
the leader of a band of
Wahpetuŋwan on the Upper
Reservation who farmed for
subsistence, but did not belong
to a Christian church. Otherday
led Roseanne and 60 other
settler refugees to safety in the
1862 War, then joined Sibley's army
as a Scout, fighting alongside white
soldiers at Wood Lake. He died of
tuberculosis at Fort Wadsworth, Dakota
Territory in 1869.
Tatidutawin (1803-1888) was a practitioner
of herbal and spiritual medicine in the
Wahpetu waŋ community here. She
married Chatka, a Bdewakantuŋwan
of the Little Crow family, who was a
soldier for Joseph Renville. Tatidutawin,
baptized Catherine in 1837, was the
second Dakota Christian, following her
sister-in-law Mary Tokanne Renville.
Catherine was literate in Dakota and all
four of her children learned Dakota and
English. She moved to the Upper Sioux
Reservation in
Photographed By Connor Olson, June 29, 2021
2. Dakotas at Lac qui Parle Marker
Marker can be seen to the left
1854 where she and her
son, Towaniteton Lorenzo Lawrence allied
with the Peace Party in 1862. Catherine
died in 1888 and is buried at Ascension,
Sisseton, South Dakota.
Mazakutemani (C1806-1885) was a Wahpetunwaŋ
soldier in Joseph Renville's soldiers' lodge when
the missionaries arrived at Lac qui parle in 1835.
He said that he was the first Dakota man to
take up farming and put on white men's
clothes. He took the name Little Paul
Mazakutemani. By the 1850s, he had
distinguished himself as the speaker for
the Wahpetuŋwaŋ who were seeking
permanent residence in Mni Sota Makoçe.
Mazakutemani was the first President of the
Hazlewood Republic and was the speaker
for the Peace Party which opposed the U.S.
Dakota War of 1862. He died at Long Hollow,
Sisseton Reservation, in 1885.
Waŋbdiokiya (c.1803–1899), Paul Mazakutemani's brother, was a leader in the
Wahpetuŋwaŋ Sacred Medicine Dance Society, and a soldier for his cousin Joseph
Renville. He was one of the first Dakota men to become literate in Dakota and was
the first employed to teach Dakota people to read and write Dakota. In 1854 he
moved his village to the Upper Agency, where his wife and children were church
members. Still living by traditional spiritual ways when the war broke out, in 1862
Waŋbdiokiya took his family to Canada rather
than take sides in the conflict. Later,
Waŋbdiokiya became a Christian, taking the English name Stephen Eagle Help.
He died in Manitoba in 1899.
Towaniteton (C1822-1897) a Wahpetuŋwaŋ,
and son of Tatidutawiŋ was baptized
Lorenzo Lawrence and spent a year in
Ohio in 1842-43 studying English and
agriculture. When he returned,
Lorenzo supported his cousin Little
Crow's bid to take over leadership of
the Kaposia band. In 1854, Lorenzo
moved to the Hazlewood Republic
on the Upper Reservation and
became the first Dakota citizen of
the State of Minnesota. In the 1862
War, Lorenzo helped 17 captives
escape. He became a Federal Scout
and was a founder of the Brown Earth
Dakota Community. Lorenzo died on the
Sisseton and Wahpeton Reservation in
South Dakota 1897.
Anawangmani (c.1813–1891) a Wahpetuŋwan,
was the first Dakota man to become a
Christian and was baptized Simon
Anawangmani in 1841. His choice
made him an outcast among his own
people. He later became a leader
among the Upper Dakota who
sought to remain on their
homelands via farming. He signed
the Treaty of 1851, became an
elder in the Presbyterian church, a
leader in the Hazlewood Republic,
and a member of the Peace Party
during the 1862 war. Simon settled
on the Sisseton and Wahpeton
Reservation where he was ordained a
pastor in 1866. He died in 1891 and is
buried at Goodwill.
Taoyateduta, or Little Crow
(c.1810-1863) is best known for his
last role, as the Bdewakantuŋwan
Dakota leader who agreed to lead
the pro-war Dakotas in the U.S.
Dakota War of 1862. The Kaposia-
born future chief was a soldier in his
uncle Joseph Renville's lodge when
the missionaries began teaching
the soldiers to read Dakota at Lac
qui Parle the winter of 1835.
Decades of marriage between
Kaposia and Wahpetu waŋ people
made all the Dakota people profiled
on this panel kin. Taoyateduta was
killed near Hutchinson, Minnesota,
in 1863, and his remains were
ultimately buried at Flandreau,
South Dakota.
Location. 45° 1.424′ N, 95° 52.095′ W. Marker is near Churchill, Minnesota, in Chippewa County. Memorial can be reached from 140th Avenue Northwest (County Road 32) near 1st Street West (County Road 13). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Watson MN 56295, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
