U.S.-Dakota War - Treaties

Minnesota Historical Society

27 Sept 201202:01

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the forced removal of American Indian tribes, particularly the Dakota, from their lands in Minnesota starting in the 1830s to accommodate European immigrants. Through treaties that were essentially legal theft, the tribes lost vast territories. The U.S. government's failure to honor these treaties and its underlying extermination agenda highlight a dark chapter in American history.

Takeaways

🏞️ The US government's policy in the 1830s aimed to remove American Indian tribes westward to accommodate European immigrants.
📜 Treaties were agreements between the US government and Indian nations that often resulted in the loss of land for tribes like the Dakota.
📄 Some treaties were considered illegitimate, allowing the federal government to legally seize Indian land without proper compensation.
🏡 The Dakota people were gradually removed from their lands in what is now Minnesota through a series of treaties.
💵 The US government's payment for land was often in the form of interest payments over fifty years, effectively never fully paying for the land.
🗽 By 1862, the Dakota had lost most of their land in Minnesota through treaties with the US government.
🤝 The United States is urged to honor the treaties and seek justice for Native American tribes.
🌐 Treaties are seen as a moral and legal foundation that should be respected for the consciousness of the continent.
⁉️ There is a question about the sincerity of treaty signings given the pre-existing plans to exterminate the natives in the west.
🏛️ The Washington establishment had intentions to exterminate the western natives, casting doubt on the value of the treaties they signed.

Q & A

What was the US government policy towards American Indian tribes in the 1830s?
-The US government policy in the 1830s supported the removal of American Indian tribes westward to make way for European immigrants.
How did the treaties negotiated between the US government and Indian nations affect the Dakota people?
-The treaties resulted in the Dakota people losing large portions of their land.
What is described as a 'bogus document' in the script?
-The 'bogus document' refers to a document that allowed the federal government to legally steal Indian land.
What was the outcome of the series of treaties with the Eastern Dakota?
-The series of treaties with the Eastern Dakota led to their eventual removal from the land that became Minnesota.
How was the land sold by the Dakota people described in the script?
-The land was sold for a certain amount of dollars per acre, but the government never intended to pay the full amount and instead paid interest for fifty years, effectively never paying for the land.
By what year had the Dakota lost most of their land in Minnesota?
-By 1862, the Dakota had lost most of their land in Minnesota.
What is the call to action mentioned in the script regarding the treaties?
-The United States is called upon to honor those treaties and do what is necessary to do justice to all the Native American tribes.
What is the significance of the treaties according to the script?
-The treaties are described as the consciousness of the continent.
What was the perspective of the US government in Washington regarding the natives in the west as mentioned in the script?
-The perspective was that they already had the idea that they were going to exterminate the natives in the west.
What is the implication of the question 'Did it really matter if they signed those treaties or not?' in the script?
-The implication is that the US government may have already predetermined the outcome for the native tribes, making the signing of treaties potentially irrelevant.

Outlines

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🏰 Forced Removal of American Indian Tribes

The paragraph discusses the historical policy of the US government to remove American Indian tribes from their lands to accommodate European immigrants. It highlights the Dakota people's loss of land due to treaties and agreements that were essentially a legal facade for land theft. These treaties, starting from 1805 at the future site of Fort Snelling, led to the Dakota's eventual displacement from what is now Minnesota. The US government's approach was to pay the tribes in interest over fifty years, effectively never paying the full amount for the land. By 1862, the Dakota had lost most of their land in Minnesota. The paragraph concludes with a call for the United States to honor these treaties and seek justice for Native American tribes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Settlements

Settlements refer to communities established by individuals or groups in previously unsettled areas. In the context of the video script, it relates to the expansion of European immigrants into lands traditionally inhabited by American Indian tribes. The script mentions that tribes cannot exist surrounded by these settlements, highlighting the encroachment and subsequent displacement of native peoples.

💡Continual Contact

Continual contact implies ongoing interaction between different groups. In the script, it is used to describe the interaction between American Indian tribes and European settlers, which often led to the tribes' displacement and assimilation. The phrase underscores the inevitability of interaction and its impact on the tribes' way of life.

💡Removal

Removal, in this context, refers to the forced relocation of American Indian tribes from their ancestral lands. The script discusses the US government policy that supported the westward removal of these tribes to accommodate European immigrants. This policy led to significant land loss for tribes like the Dakota.

💡Treaties

Treaties are formal, legally binding agreements between two parties. In the video script, treaties are mentioned as agreements negotiated between the US government and Indian nations, which often resulted in the loss of land for the tribes. The treaties are highlighted as a means by which the government could legally take Indian land, with the script suggesting that some were not honored.

💡Dakota People

The Dakota People are one of the Sioux tribes native to the Great Plains of the United States. The script specifically mentions the Dakota losing large portions of land through treaties with the US government. This example illustrates the broader theme of native dispossession and the impact of government policies on specific tribes.

💡Fort Snelling

Fort Snelling is a historical site in Minnesota, mentioned in the script as the location of an early agreement with the Eastern Dakota. It symbolizes the beginning of a series of treaties that led to the removal of the Dakota people from the land that became Minnesota.

💡Land Sale

A land sale refers to the transaction of land from one party to another. The script describes how the Dakota sold their land for a certain amount of dollars per acre, but the government's payment terms were structured in such a way that they never fully compensated the tribe, highlighting a form of exploitation.

💡Extermination

Extermination refers to the complete destruction or annihilation of a group. In the script, it is used to describe the Washington government's intentions towards the native populations in the west. This term underscores the severity of the actions taken against the tribes and the genocidal nature of some policies.

💡Consciousness

In the context of the script, consciousness refers to the moral awareness or collective consciousness of a society. The treaties are described as the 'consciousness of this continent,' suggesting that they represent the moral and legal framework that should guide the treatment of native tribes. The phrase implies a responsibility to honor these agreements.

💡Justice

Justice in this context refers to the principle of fairness and the rights of individuals or groups. The script calls for the United States to honor the treaties and to act justly towards all Native American tribes. This keyword is central to the video's message, advocating for the rectification of historical wrongs and the upholding of moral and legal standards.

💡Vast Territory

Vast Territory refers to the extensive lands that were traditionally owned by the native tribes. The script mentions that the government never paid for this territory, indicating the scale of the dispossession. This term is used to emphasize the magnitude of the loss suffered by the tribes.

Highlights

The tribes cannot exist surrounded by US settlements and continuous contact with US citizens.

US government policy in the 1830s supported the removal of American Indian tribes westward.

Treaties resulted in the Dakota people losing large portions of land.

A document allowed the federal government to legally steal Indian land.

Series of treaties with the Eastern Dakota led to their removal from the land that became Minnesota.

The land was sold for a specific amount of dollars per acre, but the government never intended to pay the full amount.

The government paid interest for fifty years instead of the full payment for the land.

By 1862, the Dakota had lost most of their land in Minnesota through treaties.

The United States needs to honor those treaties and do justice to all Native American tribes.

The treaties are considered the consciousness of the continent.

Question raised about the importance of signing the treaties when the government intended to exterminate the natives.

Washington had the idea of exterminating the natives in the west.

The tribes must yield to the force of circumstances and eventually disappear.

The land agreements were written in a way that the government never paid for the land.

The treaties' significance in recognizing the rights and history of Native American tribes.

The historical context of the US government's policy on American Indian tribes.

The impact of the treaties on the Dakota people's land rights.

The moral and legal implications of the US government's actions towards Native American tribes.