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nations that inhabited the Minnesota and Mid-Western regions centuries before them.16 The
white settlers who lost their lives during the conflict are remembered, but Dakota artifacts and
cultural traditions are preserved care. This allows the region to play a role in public memory as
well as contribute to the reconciliation process, which remains alive 155 years after the conflict.

New Ulm, a small town situated east of Fort Ridgely, offers a narrative which couples as
a historical relic to honor the lives of the fallen white settlers and militiamen, but also the
commemorative efforts long after the conflict subsided. New Ulm bore witness to two large-
scale assaults by the Dakota on August 19 and 22, 1862. The outcome of these attacks resulted in
a high casualty percentage for both the white and Native population, but also the eventual
evacuation of thousands to seek refuge in larger urban centers, like Mankato and Minneapolis.
The landscape of the two battles is non-existent in the city streets of New Ulm, as over “98% of
the buildings were destroyed during the two brutal attacks by the Dakota.” Several narratives
arose when investigating the town of New Ulm, and the engagements which took place. The
history of the August Schell Brewing Company, which was unscathed during the attacks on New
Ulm, has been attributed to the peaceful coexistence between the Dakota and Schell employees
years before the conflict. This relationship does not help may be exaggerated. 155 years after the
conflict, animosity continues to plague many brewery employees, who remember their ancestors
that “were scalped and murdered by those Indians.” New Ulm produces a high amount of
scrutiny towards the Native American population in the region, moving further away from the
forgiving ideology in Mankato.17

16 Ibid.
17 Carley, The Dakota War of 1862, 34-39; Tour Employee, August Schell’s Brewing Company,
Interview by author, New Ulm, Minnesota, March 6, 2016.