by Conn, Phoebe
By the end of the 1860s, the Sioux were returning in small numbers to their homelands in Minnesota. In 1869, twelve families left the reservation at Niobrara seeking to live as white men on land of their own choosing. They became successful farmers in Flandreau, South Dakota.
Little Crow's sixteen-year-old son, Wowinapa, who had
been with him when he was killed, was captured and sentenced to hang for his part in the uprising. He managed to escape that fate, however. Wowinapa became a Christian, and as Thomas Wakeman, is remembered for founding the YMCA among the Sioux.
For the shooting of Little Crow, Nathan Lamson received a $500 reward from the state of Minnesota. His son, Chauncey, whose shot had actually killed the chief, received a $75 bounty for his scalp. In 1971, Little Crow's remains were finally returned to his family, and he was buried in Flandreau, South Dakota.
The army continued to pursue the Sioux who had fled to the Dakota Territory in an attempt to discourage raids upon the Minnesota frontier. Forts were manned until 1866, and gradually the raiding stopped and the settlers who had fled the uprising began to return to their homes. Peace returned to the Minnesota River Valley, but at a terrible price to the Sioux.
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