It was used against us; the generosity was used against us

Mr. Childs reflects on the treaties made between the Dakota and U.S. government.

Audio Chapters

DL: What do you think about the treaties?

MC: They’re not worth the paper they were written on. It’s really sad because our people, they meant so much to us; unlike today where everybody writes out their speeches and stuff. Of course there’s a lot of litigation if you speak wrong, but even back then the white leaders, they had prepared speeches and different things, and the Native people, they didn’t need speeches; they spoke from the heart. Like I mentioned earlier, we didn’t own the lands, they belonged to everybody, and so we were willing to share with others. And it was used against us; the generosity was used against us.

Oral History- Interview | Narrator Michael Childs Interviewer Deborah Locke made at Welch, Prairie Island Indian Community, MN | Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Citation: Minnesota Historical Society. U.S. - Dakota War of 1862. It was used against us; the generosity was used against us March 29, 2024. http://www.usdakotawar.org/node/1033

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