In the accounts of the lives of several generations of Ojibway people in Minnesota is much information about their history and culture.

"What do our myths say about us? Why do we choose to believe stories that have been disproven? David M. Krueger takes an in-depth look at a legend that held tremendous power in one corner of Minnesota, helping to define both a community's and a state's identity for decades. In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North...

A biography of Dakota Indian chief Cut Nose, who, along with 37 other Dakota Indians, was hanged in Mankato, Minnesota, on December 26, 1862, for taking part in attacks on white settlers and communities in Minnesota in 1862. After being executed, the bodies were buried, but later removed from their mass grave and sold for use as cadavers in medical schools. The body of Cut Nose was procured by Dr. William Mayo, and his skeleton was eventually displayed...

In 1863, after the end of the US--Dakota War, a group of men in Mankato, Minnesota, formed a secret society. At the beginning of every meeting, members of the Knights of the Forest recited its ritual pledge, including these words: "I sincerely hope this meeting may be profitable to each one of us, and that we may go forth from this Lodge stronger and braver in the determination to banish forever from our beautiful State every Indian who now desecrates...

In Minnesota, the legacy of the American Indian people is reflected in many ways. Twenty-seven of the state's counties have names of Indian origin. The cities of Wabasha, Red Wing, and Shakopee are named for important Mdewakanton Dakota tribal leaders. With more than fifty-four thousand Indians currently living in Minnesota, their culture and values are well represented throughout the state. Characterized by a balanced perspective and a comprehensive...