Mendota Heights in Dakota County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Oheyawahi "a hill much visited"

Photographed By McGhiever, June 8, 2021

1. Oheyawahi "a hill much visited" Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Hekṭa ahaŋna Ikce Wicaṡṭa paha ḳiŋ de Oheyawahi eya cażeyaṭap̣i. Dehan iṡto Woṭaḳuya Paha eyap̣i. Wakaŋ dapi naka nina ohodap̣i. Ikce Wicaṡta ded waceḳiyap̣i k'a naḳuŋ woṭaḳuye ewicawanpapi.

Ded naḳuŋ Treaty of 1851 owap̣i. De wowap̣i ḳiŋ Dakod makoce maka oṡp̣e ḳeḳtop̣awiŋġe ḳeḳtop̣awiŋġe wikcemna yamni sam zaptaŋ uŋ icup̣i. Hehan 1862-1863 waniyeṭu ecun wicoḳaṡḳe ti wan kaġap̣i. Naḳuŋ cuŋḳaṡḳe wan ahimni edhepi. He detaŋhaŋ mni akasamṭu. Ded Ikce Wicaṡṭa wica, wiŋyaŋ k'a naḳuŋ wakaŋ iża wicopiya pazo wicayuhap̣i. Wicoṭa t'ap̣i. Naḳuŋ uŋġe ded wicaḣap̣i.

This is the north slope of Oheyawahi, "a hill much visited," also now known as Wotakuye Paha, "the hill of all the relatives," a sacred place named

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by Dakota people centuries ago. Oheyawahi looks over the mouth of the Minnesota River, or Mdote Minisota, the center of the world for the Dakota. This hill has been a gathering place for Dakota, Ojibwe, and Iowa people, and a place for ceremonies and burials.

Pilot Knob was the site of the signing of the Treaty of 1851, which transferred 35 million acres of Dakota land to the United States. In the winter of 1862-63, 1300 Dakota men, women, and children were confined in a fenced camp on the opposite river bank, where many died. Some were buried here.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.

Location. 44° 52.929′ N, 93° 10.124′ W. Marker is in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, in Dakota County. Marker can be reached from Pilot Knob Road. The marker is located on the walking trail through Pilot Knob, just before the Seven Council Fires Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2044 Pilot Knob Rd, Saint Paul MN 55120, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Oheyawahi Pilot Knob Hill (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mendota / Sibley House (about 700 feet away); United States War Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Pilot Knob (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Peter's Church

Oheyawahi "a hill much visited" Marker along the trail just before the Seven Council Fires Overlook image. Click for full size.

Photographed By McGhiever, June 8, 2021

2. Oheyawahi "a hill much visited" Marker along the trail just before the Seven Council Fires Overlook

(approx. ¼ mile away); A Great River's Road / Mendota, the Meeting Place (approx. 0.3 miles away); Paper Towns & Other Imaginary Worlds / Frontier Fortunes and Mississippi Mansions (approx. 0.3 miles away); General Henry Hastings Sibley (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mendota Heights.

Also see . . . Oheyawahi-Pilot Knob on Wikipedia. (Submitted on July 23, 2021, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2021, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 273 times since then and 34 times this year. Last updated on December 22, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 23, 2021, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.