Tim Madigan wants to tell you about the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862. My ancestors will be listening.

Tim MadiganI stopped by Tim Madigan’s office at Anna Dee’s Cafe in Faribault this morning to get a promo photo.

At 6:30 pm next Thursday, October 18th, he’ll be removing his Northfield City Administrator hat and putting on his history teacher hat for his Northfield Historical Society presentation titled The Fog of War: Perceptions and Realities of the US Dakota Conflict of 1862:

This presentation, given by local amateur historian Tim Madigan will focus on the prism used by various groups and individuals to view the Conflict and its aftermath. Madigan was a history major in college, and Tim taught high school history and social studies for four years before entering the city management field. Three years of his teaching experience was in Morton MN, site of the start of the US Dakota Conflict. While at Morton he designed a local history class and became familiar with many of the sites and events of the Conflict. He has also lived in Mankato and Faribault, cities with close ties to the events of the Conflict.

US-Dakota War of 1862I’m 1/16 Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota so I’m keenly interested in this.  Was it a war or a conflict? What role did the ‘loyal Mdewakanton’ play and was it significant? Was there a ‘concentration camp’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’ after it was over? If it had never happened, what might have been the result?

I’m hoping to get to the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 exhibit at the MN History Center before Tim’s presentation. 

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