Ep. 10- Is Fort Snelling on Stolen Land? (Part 2 of 2)

Fort Snelling Viewed From a Distance, Seth Eastman, ca. 1850.

How did Fort Snelling come to be built at Bdóte, a sacred site at the center of the homeland of the Dakota people? Join us for part two of our two-part examination of just how, exactly, the US came to claim this site. After delving deep into the backstory and setting the scene in our last episode, here we'll follow the 1805 mission of Lt. Zebulon Pike and take a close look at the supposed treaty that he negotiated. We'll find out why this treaty—usually taken to be the first purchase of land by the US in what is now the state of Minnesota—is about as legally dubious as treaties can get.

(Content warning: topics discussed include racism, colonialism, genocide, land dispossession, and the desecration of graves.)

Related Images

Here are some of the stars of this story:

General James Wilkinson, traitor and rascal.

Lt. Zebulon Pike, in over his head.

Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni ("Hawk that hunts walking,"), aka Le Petit Corbeau, aka Little Crow, painted in by Charles Bird King in 1824.

Of the Dakota present at the siging of Pike's supposed "treaty," the only person whose image we have today is Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni, (aka Le Petit Corbeau, aka Little Crow). As the years went by, Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni still seemed eager to form a relationship with the United States, spurred by Pike's promise of a trading post and better prices. As part of his outreach, in 1823 the chief led some of his people in a raid against the Arikara during the disastrous US-Arikara War, which is it's own complicated mess. (You should read about it.) Afterwards, he accepted the invitation of Lt. Col. Henry Leavenworth, head of the US forces in the conflict, to travel to Washington D.C. to accept the thanks of President Monroe. Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni used the opportunity to pester Monroe to make good on Pike's promise to build a trading post. Monroe assured him it would be done. (It never was.)

While in Washington, he had his portrait (above) painted by artist Charles Bird King. This portrait was later sold as a lithograph and included in several books and portfolios, including Thomas Mckenny's A History of the Indian Tribes of North America, released in three volumes between 1836-1844.

Here is the full text of the "treaty":

This watercolor by Seth Eastman shows a traditional Dakota burial scaffold, similar to the one Pike observed at Bdóte:

"Indian Burial Ground," by Seth Eastman, 1849–55. Minneapolis Institute of Art.

This cool map was made in 1810 by cartographer Nicholas King, based off of Pike's notes:

Both of Pike's expeditions were largely disastrous, but because American myth and legend loves the romantized archetype of the Explorer, ever since his death Pike has been celebrated as an American hero. Monuments, statues, plaques, and place names in tribute to him can be found throughout the Upper Mississippi and all throughout the Southwest. This plaque used to be on Wita Tanka (Pike Island) at Bdóte, but was removed sometime in the late 1990s:

Sources Cited

Coues, Elliot. The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, to Headwaters of the Mississippi River, Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, Volumes 1-3. (New York: Francis Harper, 1895)

Deloria, Ella, edited by DeMallie, Raymond J and Veyrié, Thierry. The Dakota Way of Life. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2022)

Case, Martin. The Relentless Business of Treaties: How Indigenous Land Became US Property (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2018)

Folwell, William Watts. A History of Minnesota, Volume 1. (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1921)

Linklater, Andro. An Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson. (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009)

Meyer, Roy W. History of the Santee Sioux: United States Indian Policy on Trial (Revised Edition) (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1967, 1993)

Smith, Hampton. Confluence: The History of Fort Snelling. (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2022)

Westerman, Gwen, and White, Bruce. Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota. (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012)

Credits:

Minnesota Unknown is produced, hosted, written, and researched by Alex Weston, Hannah Norton, and Josie Bergmann. This episode was edited by Alex Weston. Our theme song is by Union Shakedown. This episode is copyright 2026 by Minnesota Unknown, LLC. All rights reserved.

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