History Center to debut Dakota War exhibit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota History Center will open a new exhibit next month examining one of the toughest periods of the state's past: the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

The war may be best known for the largest mass execution in U.S. history, with the hangings of 38 Dakota men in Mankato on Dec. 26, 1862. But hundreds of whites and Dakota died in six weeks of violence rooted in conflict over federal payments and starvation among Indians.

Minnesota Historical Society director Steve Elliott says the exhibit is a "search for truth" that draws on many perspectives and conflicting interpretations. Researchers met with Dakota people and settler descendants and examined original documents, letters, diaries and artifacts to put together a narrative.

The exhibit opens June 30 in St. Paul.