Wabasha III (''Wapahaśa)'' (c. 1816–1876) was a prominent Dakota Sioux chief, also known as Joseph Wabasha. He succeeded his father as head chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota in 1836. Following the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...

and the forced removal of the Dakota to Crow Creek Reservation, Wabasha became known as head chief of the

Santee Sioux The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

. In the final years of his life, Chief Wabasha helped his people rebuild their lives at the Santee Reservation in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

. In 1862, Wabasha had opposed the Dakota uprising from the start but had struggled to gain support. In the final weeks of the war, Wabasha — together with Wakute II and Taopi — sent messages to Colonel

Henry Hastings Sibley Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a North American fur trade, fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territor ...

voicing their opposition to Little Crow and offering their assistance to the U.S. Wabasha's son-in-law, Hdainyanka, was one of the 38 Dakota men executed in

Mankato, Minnesota Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minnea ...

on December 26, 1862. In 1986, a bust of Chief Wabasha III was installed at the

Minnesota State Capitol The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Minnesota, in its capital city of Saint Paul. It houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office ...

Succession as chief

Before succeeding his father in 1836, Chief Wabasha III was known as Tatepsin, which is translated as "Upsetting Wind" or "Bounding Wind." Chief Wabasha II died during a smallpox epidemic that killed many in his Kiyuksa (Keoxa) band. Around the time that Tatepsin became chief, the Kiyuksa band was twice as large as any other

Mdewakanton The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W� ...

band.The Kiyuksa band migrated periodically between the mouth of the upper

Iowa River The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 and ...

and

Lake Pepin Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake on the Mississippi River on the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is located in a valley carved by the outflow of an enormous glacial lake at the end of the last Ice Age. The ...

, and hunted on both sides of the upper

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. Wabasha had extensive kinship ties to "mixed-blood" traders and settlers in the area. In 1842, Chief Wabasha III presuaded

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

Amos Bruce to employ his relative, James Reed.

Treaties

On September 10, 1836, Tatepsin signed the fifth Treaty of

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821. Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...

with acting

Colonel

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

. The treaty relinquished all Sioux claims to what is now northwest

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

to the United States. Chief Wabasha signed the 1851 and 1858USA Treaty with the Sioux, 1858 — Mendawakanton and Wahpahoota Bands, ''Wa-bash-aw, his x mark.'' http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/Vol2/treaties/sio0781.htm treaties that ceded the southern half of what is now the state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

to the United States. These land sales began the removal of his band to the reservation on the Minnesota River.

Opposition to Dakota uprising

In 1862, Wabasha had opposed the Dakota uprising from the start but had struggled to gain support. Bust-Chief_Wabasha_III-c1800-1876

Removal to Crow Creek

The Dakota were removed from Minnesota to Crow Creek Reservation in Dakota Territory.

Santee Sioux Reservation

They then moved to the Santee Reservation in

, where the last chief Wabasha died on April 23, 1876.

References

External links

Dakota-Lakota-Nakota Human Rights Advocacy Coalition: Chiefs: Chief Wapasha III c. 1816 – April 23, 1876, excerpted from: "Explorers found hills, valleys alive with Indians," Steve Kerns, ''Winona Sunday News'', 14 november 1976grave of Chief Wabasha, III
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wapasha Iii Native American leaders Sioux people 1810s births 1876 deaths Native Americans in Minnesota