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This Day in Minnesota History

July 23, 1851

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The Sisseton and Wapheton Dakota sign the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, near St. Peter. Maḣpiya Wic̣aṡṭa (Cloud Man) and Iṡtaḣba (Sleepy Eye) are among the Dakota signers, while Alexander Ramsey and Luke Lea represent the United States, with missionary Stephen Riggs interpreting. Henry H. Sibley acts as agent for the fur traders, who had accumulated debts from the Dakota. In the treaty, the Dakota relinquish title to their lands west of the Mississippi River, about 24 million acres, for $1,665,000 and a reservation for the Indians is set up in the Minnesota River valley. Soon, a similar treaty with other Dakota bands is signed at Mendota. Problems with treaty payments would be one of the causes of the US–Dakota War of 1862.

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