LaVonne Swenson

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LaVonne Swenson was born in Pipestone, Minnesota in 1948 to Thomas and Iola Jean Columbus. She is enrolled as a member of and lives on the Lower Sioux Reservation.

Stories

Title
That was their last song LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: 1862 Topics: Aftermath of 1862, Mankato Hangings Keywords: Mankato, Hangings
You get a sense of belonging to that part of history and surviving LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: 1862 Topics: Birch Coulee Keywords: Birch Coulee
That’s how they would hide. LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: 1862 Topics: Family in 1862, Aftermath of 1862 Keywords: Bounty
I think the biggest contribution was our lifestyle LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Cultural Contributions to U.S. Topics: Dakota Culture and Values Keywords: Food, Lifestyle
We’re no different. It’s just that we probably had to suffer a whole lot more. LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Education Topics: Education for Understanding Keywords: Suffer, Education
They were punished for speaking it and they didn’t want us to be punished. LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Growing Up Topics: Dakota Language Keywords:
We always talk about our teacher and memories of the school and the games we played. LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Growing Up Topics: Growing Up, Education, Dakota in White Systems Keywords: School
They’ve held onto their traditions LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Life Today Topics: Dakota Life Today, Dakota Culture and Values Keywords: Canada
50,000 Indian children never came home LaVonne Swenson \| Oral History	Theme: Life Today Topics: Boarding School, Reparations, Healing Keywords: Canada, Boarding School

Oral History- Interview | Narrator LaVonne Swenson Interviewer Deborah Locke made in Morton, Lower Sioux Community, MN | Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Read or listen to entire Oral History

Viewpoints: All viewpoints expressed on this website are those of the contributors, and are not representative of the Minnesota Historical Society.

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