Wapasha II

Wapasha (The Leaf)
Mdewakanton Dakota chief
Lithograph of Chief Wabasha II
Bornca. 1773
Diedca. 1836
This article is about one of several Dakota chiefs named Wabasha (Wapasha). For the others, see Wapasha.

Wabasha II (c. 1773–1836), also known as Wapahasha, Wapasha, or "The Leaf," succeeded his father as head chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota tribe in the early 1800s.[1][2] He led the Dakota forces fighting with the British in the War of 1812, but sided with the United States in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Chief Wabasha II signed the Treaties of Prairie du Chien in 1825 and 1830.

In 1843, the settlers of Rocque's Landing changed the name of their town to "Wabasha" in honor of the chief.[3] A statue of Wapahasha II stands next to a fountain in present-day Wabasha, Minnesota, on the west bank of the Mississippi River.[4]

  1. ^ Holcombe, Return Ira (1908). Minnesota in Three Centuries. Vol. 2. New York: The Publishing Society of Minnesota. pp. 271–272, 273–274, 277.
  2. ^ In Little Crow: Spokesman for the Sioux (1986), historian Gary Clayton Anderson suggests that Wabasha II's role was "tribal spokesman" until his death. Others, such as Mdewakanton sub-chief Big Eagle, have stated that head chief and tribal spokesman were two distinct roles. (A Sioux Story of the War, 1894)
  3. ^ "Wapahasha II". HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  4. ^ "Wapahasha II (The Leaf) – Wabasha, MN. – Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 2021-07-11.