About this series: In 2012, as the 150th anniversary of the U.S.-Dakota War approached, the Star Tribune sought to explain the significance of the tragic time with a historical narrative, told through the story of Little Crow, a Dakota chief who, at times reluctantly, led the 1862 rebellion. This exploration brings fresh context to the debate over a controversial sculpture at the Walker Art Museum.
The narrative, written by former staff writer Curt Brown and photographed by David Joles, is told in six installments, with an epilogue. The series is also available in a special e-book available from iTunes, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
A man lost in history
The darkest chapter in Minnesota's past, through the rise and fall of one Dakota leader.
Born to lead
In the final years of traditional Dakota life in Minnesota, Little Crow's mother prepared him to lead his people in a time of wrenching change.
'When men are hungry, they help themselves'
With his people starving and treaty payments too late to help, Little Crow is pushed toward war. A bloody confrontation lights the fuse.
Terror spreads across the prairie
Little Crow's men hand white leaders one humiliation after another, killing hundreds of settlers and soldiers. But his control of the war begins to slip.
In Little Crow's wake, horrors for the Dakota
The defeated Dakota endure a forced march, angry mobs and calls for their extermination. More than 300 men are sentenced to hang.
Little Crow's legacy
He travels far in a failed effort to recruit bands to join the revolt. With a bounty on his head, a decision to slip back into Minnesota proves to be a fatal error.
Reaching back to touch the past
Countless relics steeped in mystery and meaning, connecting Minnesotans today with the horrors of 1862. They are preserved in county museums, Minnesota Historical Society collections and in the hands of private collectors and descendants.
In the Footsteps of Little Crow
The Star Tribune's telling of the story of Little Crow, the Dakota chief who led the 1862 rebellion, is also an e-book.
$2.99 available for download here: Purchase from the iTunes store for Apple devices Purchase from Amazon for the Kindle Purchase from Barnes & Noble for Nook devices
