Wahpeton Topics – Access Genealogy

Treaty of February 19, 1867

Whereas it is understood that a portion of the Sissiton and Warpeton bands of Santee Sioux Indians, numbering from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred persons, not only preserved their obligations to the Government of the United States, during and since the outbreak of the Medewakantons and other bands of Sioux in 1862, but freely periled their lives during that outbreak to rescue the residents on the Sioux reservation, and to obtain possession of white women and children made captives by the hostile bands; and that another portion of said Sissiton and Warpeton bands, numbering from one thousand to twelve hundred … Read more

Agreement of September 20, 1872

Whereas, the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians made and concluded a treaty with the United States, at the city of Washington, D. C., on the 19th day of February, A. D. 1867, which was ratified, with certain amendments, by the Senate of the United States on the 15th day of April, 1868, and finally promulgated by the President of the United States on the 2d day of May, in the year aforesaid, by which the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Sioux Indians ceded to the United States certain privileges and rights supposed to belong to said … Read more

Amended Agreement of May 2, 1873

Whereas, the Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians, on the 20th day of September A. D. 1872 made and entered into an agreement in writing, signed on one part by the Chiefs and headmen of said bands, with the assent and approval of the members of [said] bands, and upon the other part by Moses N. Adams, James Smith, jr., and William H. Forbes, commissioners on the part of the United States; which said agreement is as follows, to wit: “Whereas, the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians made and concluded a treaty with … Read more

Treaty of June 19, 1858 – Sisseton

Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington on the nineteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, by Charles E. Mix, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the following-named chiefs and head-men of the Sisseeton and Wahpaton bands of the Dakota or Sioux tribe of Indians, viz: Maz-zah-shaw, Wamdupidutah, Ojupi, and Hahutanai, on the part of the Sisseetons, and Maz-zomanee, Muz-zakoote-manee, Upiyahideyaw, Umpedutokechaw, and Tachandupahotanka, on the part of the Wahpatons, they being duly authorized and empowered to act for said bands. Article 1. It is hereby agreed and … Read more

Treaty of July 23, 1851

Articles of a treaty made and concluded at Traverse des Sioux, upon the Minnesota River, in the Territory of Minnesota, on the twenty-third day of July, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, between the United States of America, by Luke Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Alexander Ramsey, governor and ex-officio superintendent of Indian affairs in said Territory, commissioners duly appointed for that purpose, and See-see-toan and Wah-pay-toan bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians. Article 1. It is stipulated and solemnly agreed that the peace and friendship now so happily existing between the United States and the aforesaid bands of Indians, shall … Read more

Treaty of July 15, 1830

Articles of a treaty made and concluded by William Clark Superintendent of Indian Affairs and Willoughby Morgan, Col. of the United States 1st Regt. Infantry, Commissioners on behalf of the United States on the one part, and the undersigned Deputations of the Confederated Tribes of the Sacs and Foxes; the Medawah-Kanton, Wahpacoota, Wahpeton and Sissetong Bands or Tribes of Sioux; the Omahas, Ioways, Ottoes and Missourias on the other part. The said Tribes being anxious to remove all causes which may hereafter create any unfriendly feeling between them, and being also anxious to provide other sources for supplying their wants … Read more

Houses of the Wahpeton Tribe

The Wahpeton, “dwellers among leaves,” constitute one of the seven great divisions of the Dakota, and to quote from the Handbook: “Historic and linguistic evidence proves the affinity of this tribe with the Sisseton, Wahpekute, and Mdewakanton. Hennepin (1680) mentions them as living in the vicinity of Mille Lac, Minnesota, near the Mdewakanton, Sisseton, and Teton. On his map they are placed a little to the Northeast of the lake.” While living in the seclusion of the vast forests which surrounded the great lakes of central Minnesota, the villages of the Wahpeton were probably formed of groups of bark or … Read more

Otherday, Wahpeton Indian Chief

Otherday, John (Aagpetu-tokecha) A Wahpeton Sioux, son of Zitkaduta, or Red Bird, and nephew of Big Curly, chief of the Wahpeton at Lac qui Parle, Minn.; born at Swan lake, Minn., in 1801. It is said that when a young man he was “passionate and revengeful, and withal addicted to intemperance, and he lived to lament that he had slain three or four of his fellows in his drunken orgies” (Sibley). Yet at times he manifested the same devotion to his tribesmen as he afterward showed to the whites, on one occasion, in a battle with the Chippewa at St … Read more

Wahpeton Tribe

Wahpeton Indians (wakhpe, ‘leaf’; tonwan (French nasal n), ‘a village’; hence probably ‘dwellers among leaves’). One of the 7 primary divisions of the Dakota. Historic and linguistic evidence proves the affinity of this tribe with the Sisseton, Wahpekute, and Mdewakanton. Hennepin (1680) mentions them as living in the vicinity of Mille Lac, Minnesota, near the Mdewakanton, Sisseton, and Teton. On his map they are placed a little to the northeast of the lake. Le Sueur (1700) places the Oudebatons, or “river village,” among the eastern Sioux, and the Ocapetons, “village of the leaf,” among the Sioux of the west. As … Read more

Plains Indian Culture

Fig. 34. The Cheyenne Camp Circle. (Dorsey).

Museum collections cannot illustrate this important phase of culture; but since no comprehensive view of the subject can be had without its consideration, we must give it some space. It is customary to treat of all habits or customs having to do with the family organization, the community, and what we call the state, under the head of social organization. So, in order that the reader may form some general idea of social conditions in this area, we shall review some of the discussed points. Unfortunately, the data for many tribes are meager so that a complete review cannot be … Read more