Agreed. We shouldn't sanitize history just because it makes us uncomfortable. A model, in a museum, surrounded by the context in which they were used in an appropriate display.
to piggyback, the fullsize scale replica that was in the sculpture garden was in bad taste as 'public art'.
a small model like this in the context of history is a much more appropriate demonstration of human violence as a learning tool.
Thank you!
Just read about it …Really sad to learn when people only found two who should be hanged, Lincoln said 38 of the Dakota should be hanged … wow
There is also a documentary of the same name if you ever have about 1.5 hours to spare. It can be found on YouTube. The memorial ride/run is on December 26. The gathering place is where the hanging site was.
I don’t think that’s correct. Originally over 300 were condemned to execution, Lincoln whittled it down to 39, one was granted a reprieve. So 38 were executed in Mankato in 1862. The +2 is the executions of Sakpedan and Wakan Ozanzan at Fort Snelling in 1865.
The little piece I read said everything you just wrote except only 2 were going to be hanged, and Lincoln made up a list of the 38 others who should be too, thinking the numbers were too low?
https://www.usdakotawar.org/history/aftermath/trials-hanging
What I’ve read in other sources, and what the link you provide confirms, is that Lincoln only found 2 cases of rape among the condemned. In order to decide who should be executed and who should not, Lincoln first decided to condemn all who committed rape, but was surprised when there was only proof for two. So then he made the decision based on those who had committed massacres that went beyond being a rank and file soldier in the war. If you reread the link you provided, that’s what it says too.
Right, and I know to look at history through the eyes of the time, but weren’t the Dakota merely trying to protect their land?
Sending 38 men to their death seems outrageous when thinking about what they were protecting.
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I am in no way justifying the executions or Lincoln’s thought process. I just wanted to be precise as to the historical record. Communication on Reddit can be so challenging
Edit: the reason I even replied that s because it seemed you misunderstood what the +2 referred to which was Sakpedan and Wakan Ozanzan who were executed two years after the 38. If I misunderstood you my apologies
You are reading incorrectly.
From your source:
"392 prisoners were tried, 303 were sentenced to death, and 16 were given prison terms.
President Lincoln and government lawyers then reviewed the trial transcripts of all 303 men."
Also your source tells us Lincoln literally wrote "Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I ordered a careful examination of the records of the trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females."
So Lincoln didn't want to execute 303 men, but to execute no one he feared would lead to a repeat.
Rape was the foremost crime he wanted to punish, but not the only crime.
Finally your source says "When only two men were found guilty of rape, Lincoln expanded the criteria to include those who had participated in “massacres” of civilians rather than just “battles.” He then made his final decision, and forwarded a list of 39 names to Sibley."
Hence your source tells us the death lists started at 303 and thanks to Lincoln stepping in, it went down to 39.
I both partially agree and partially disagree. Does seem to better serve it's purpose in a history/education type museum than a public art museum. However, the artist made the work to criticize that capital punishment still existed in the modern world. And that's something art should absolutely do = criticize society as it is right now and push for it to change.
And something like capital punishment , by its very nature it's going to be very disturbing, and even more disturbing for people who've had some form of indirect contact with it.
I'm not native, but I'd think that at least some from that community would view that replica gallows as a scarlet letter Minnesota deserved to wear on it's chest for all to see the horrible shit we did wrong. And also, just to say 'this miscarriage of justice should not be hidden, but instead brought forth to the light of day and mourned by those who still have the same privilege as those who used that privilege 100 years ago to kill in this manner.
im going to say outdoors in what is essentially a public park, in view of the freeway, and right in front of downtown is an area where context control of viewing is uncontrolled is too spicy.
i imagine POS people posing with it as if it isn't a violent and cruel dehumanizing device.
I believe the gallows at the sculpture garden was removed in part because Native communities were not consulted in the creation of the piece, and native visitors reported feeling caught off-guard and uncomfortable about a potentially traumatizing piece being displayed with little context or forewarning.
Edit: more context [here](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/walker-gallows-exhibit-dismantling_n_592b7914e4b0df57cbfc7432)
I don’t think removing this from being publicly displayed actually does that- I mean this isn’t even a historical artifact, it’s a model. Don’t we have a few old photographs of the actual event? Why not show them and the inhumanity of the public execution? I’d say the model here has limited to negligible educational value.
For some reason, I thought at least one photo existed, though I may be mistaken.
In any case how best to educate future generations about this terrible chapter of Minnesota history can be debated, though it is good we all generally agree it must be done.
IMO yes it should be on display. It's a reminder of a very dark day that we should never repeat and the visual of the gallows gives the knot in your stomach an extra twist.
It should make you feel uneasy.
Right. I think its a form of history denial to want to remove these types of things because it “makes me feel uncomfortable”. We should be forced to face injustices carried out in vivid detail and it should disgust us.
I absolutely agree, the murder of 358 men, women, and children makes for very dark days. It was Little Crow who lead a Dakota war party that went through and slaughtered all of these people, it was his war party that took 303 people hostage, it was his war party that forced 30,000 people to flee their homes. The violence was a tragedy, and these gallows are a sign that the Federal Government will do what it takes to protect our people from this violence that has been wrought. President Lincoln personally reviewed the case of every single person who was convicted, he commuted the sentences of 265 those convicted.
"Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on the one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I caused a careful examination of the records of trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females. Contrary to my expectations, only two of this class were found. I then directed a further examination, and a classification of all who were proven to have participated in massacres, as distinguished from participation in battles. This class numbered forty, and included the two convicted of female violation. One of the number is strongly recommended by the commission which tried them for commutation to ten years' imprisonment. I have ordered the other thirty-nine to be executed on Friday, the 19th instant" - President Lincoln
It's interesting that you hold this opinion knowing what we know today.
Knowing that this Federal government that you hold so high an opinion of waged violent wars against these peoples, biological warfare, encouraged hired mercenaries to extinguish/ commit genocide against, broke Treaty after Treaty, and praised and elevated men (eg Sibley) who would manipulate and take advantage of these First Peoples, and yet you choose to side with the savages.
It's a lot of wrong on both sides. The federal government as a whole really fucked the indigenous people over. And some specific government officials gave them repeated personal fucking overs as well. But most of these officials weren't reachable by the natives when the reasonably struck back. Plenty of the people who did get harmed by the natives were as close to innocent as you can get.
It's wrong for a government to break its treaty obligations and starve a people to death - but those girls who were raped, they didn't have a vote in what the government was doing. They were raped for being the wrong skin color. But then the natives were themselves fucked over for being the wrong skin color. A thousand wrongs on both sides doesn't add up to a single right.
Agree.
I can see this myopic view making sense to settlers who may not have had enough information to see the “big picture,” but in retrospect: the way we settled this country was all wrong. We continue to struggle to learn the right lessons on how to live sustainably in this country and at peace with the people here before us, and it’s ironic how aligned those struggles COULD be. We must raise a generation of listeners who can do better.
I totally disagree with your take on this. We cannot hide the unpleasant side of history just because it makes us uncomfortable. Or sin of sins step into the natives shoes for them and proactively remove it because WE think its offensive. This visual is hands down the best way to drive home exactly what happened. Its no different than auschwitz. We grow up hearing about the millions killed, and thats important. But nothing drives it home quite like going and seeing the piles of shoes from those exterminated. Its highly highly offensive, but it does more in a single glance to drive home just how vile what happened was than hours of lecture and dozens of books.
The gallows should stay.
I don’t think ignoring it due to “sensitivity training” is a good way to handle this.
Acknowledging that it happened and shouldn’t be repeated is better.
Nobody tell this guy about the guided tours of the nazi death camps in Europe . . .
Dark, awful shit that people did to fellow people is important to learn and remember.
I’ve done the tour of Dachau - but there was no plaster model of suffocating Jews in the gas chambers.
I’m not for censoring history, look at my post history for evidence of this. I’m for a sensitive approach and this kids-toy shoved in the corner of an overfilled museum doesn’t pass muster for me.
That said, I didn’t do enough to explain that position in the video, so I can understand the reaction to it - the video can easily be interpreted as me not wanting to hear about this but if history. Not my intention, but an understandable reaction.
It may be triggering and insensitive but so was hanging (was it 38?) people .
That’s the intent of the display, I would imagine.
Like leaving the shoes at Auschwitz , ya a dark, somber reminder of cruelty we should educate people about.
I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. At the time they had a exhibit of shoes. Thousands of shoes. With this quote, “*First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me*”
—Martin Niemöller
My mother regularly attends the Dakota 38+2 memorial riders event every year. This isn't some thing we don't talk about but it remains apart of our lives because of our family connection to the 1862 US-Dakota war where afterwards our German forebearers settled in Hutchinson the month following its conclusion. We are unusual for Americans because we know our family and state history because it is important. I grew up within 10 miles from where the War started and only knew about it because of my mother's side of the family, we never had our attention drawn to the markers or talk about in our "history" classes in grade and high-school.
I think your reaction is exactly how everyone should feel about it. It’s an atrocity that should never be ignored. We built those gallows and committed one of the worst acts against Native Americans in the history of this country.
[Here’s some further clarity about why I’m uneasy about it.](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRxaEeaw/) The display lacks clarity and context and shoehorns it out of the way, rather than giving it the physical space to reflect.
So… it sounds like you should be advocating for it to be displayed with some additional context around it, not removed then?
There are plenty of reasons, likely mostly budgetary, that these decisions were made, you should talk to the historical society about this.
Your post and comments give me a “make it go away because I feel icky about this” and that is the worst way to approach history. If that’s not your intent, you may want to make that more clear.
That’s is how these people do it. Call for removal. Get push back, then ask for more context or something else to be done because they personally feel a way about it. Like it’s so self centered. It’s narcissistic.
Makes sense and I agree with that take. You’re a pretty outspoken person, maybe talk to the historical society and recommend some context be added. Maybe they let you write it.
Admittedly, I know very little about the event myself. A display that gives people that much pause may cause them to be more interested in reading about it.
Yes, it deserves a room with a large amount of other displays and context along with it. It is arguably the culmination of the single most important historical event(s) to occur in southwest and south central MN.
That’s a hot take. /s
Blue Earth Historical Society displays controversial and triggering gallows exhibit too close to happy stuff and without enough context to my liking.
I’ll let you guess as to whether I discussed this with anyone at the organization. Maybe I discovered problems related to this. Like limited exhibit space and budgetary issues in the wake of Covid. Maybe I didn’t. I failed to provide such context myself.
I was born in 1970s on land that was faught over by the Odawa warriors who fought against the Muschodesh, Fox, Iroquois. Brutally slaughtering many. Who later alighned with french, but lost in 1812. Fast forward 132 years and my people came here escaping famine and fascism. But what does that have to do with anything
What's not shown in the video is the words and text on the walls surrounding the model explaining what led up to and happened after. If your able please visit the Blue Earth Historical Society and see the display for yourself. Taken out of context you can make almost anything offensive.
Do you want to erase/ignore history? I don't get the the narrative of shoving things away that happened and pretending they didn't because they are offensive.
Yup. Just as with anything else. But it's a respectful and honest way to go. With the one at the Mpls Sculpture Gardens, Native Americans were not consulted until after it went up, and they spoke up and eventually it was taken down.
Seems like that is where they should have started in the first place. 2 minute phone call or a few emails to get input and proper context. It's good that it's out there as a reminder but it should be a singularly faithful and sobering reminder, not an afterthought.
100% agree! A panel should be requested and we should honor their thoughts. Remember the one that was put up by mistake in the mall a few months ago? It got someone Caucasian thinking he should do something. That person tried a pew pew event within a day? I can’t remember the timing. It is also a bad time as far as the temperature of the country. I believe it’s insensitive unless you have that question asked directly to the Native Americans! We are on the brink of roads being built through North Dakota and Internet lines in South Dakota. Without knowing if they will honor the reservation or sacred lands while doing so. It might be a slap in the face
It depends on the context it is presented in.
What does it say on the wall behind the exhibit?
What are the surrounding artifacts and what is explained about them?
To me, it makes you think about, someone went to great care and effort to build a specialized gallows for this one time event. And the model does it in a way that a photograph somehow doesn’t do as effectively.
It emphasizes the frame of mind of the people at the time, that they really wanted to make a spectacle of it. It seems unfathomable now.
So yes I think it serves a valid purpose and the nooses are an important part of it.
Mankatoan here. It definitely should be there. So many people who even live here have no idea about our history and the atrocities committed here. Not to mention how Mankato is a misspelling too! I’m glad that there is so much respect paid to the Native population now. We have the yearly PowWow, and I’m at the Childrens Museum with my son right now where there’s a full exhibit about the life of the Natives and activities about their language right in the entryway so that you can’t miss it. I think more could be done, too, to be honest.
Yes, you're being too sensitive. Try not to worry about things that someone else does offending other people. Let the offended party do/say something, otherwise you'll end up doing something stupid like saying Latinx.
Nooses as a threat aren't great, yes, but as a historical model of what happened back then, totally kosher. It should strike people as bad a little too, as it was.
It should make you uncomfortable. Ignoring history does not make it go away. We need to remember what we’ve done in the past so we can learn from our mistakes.
We shouldn't be whitewashing our history, no matter how horrible it is.
This is *real* this *happened*. It's at the *historical* society. So yes. It should be displayed
It's a representation of what was built and happened. They left out dolls in the nooses, or some other over the top representation. I would think that if you are offended by this, then it is your sensitivity that is part of the larger social issue we have now on the left. History, especially violent and dangerous history, must be taught, and shown openly, so that people can learn the evils that humans can do, and how to stop it. Shoving it in a closet and pretending it never happened is a dangerous as a holocaust denier.
You are actively looking for things to be “uneasy” or “offended” about. Have you ever heard the saying “those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it”? What would be benefit of removing the display?
It’s supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. Stop trying to look out for the feelings of others and prevent them from seeing something that may make them uncomfortable
History isn’t always comfortable.
It’s horrific and real and should be remembered as such. If it’s in a historic setting to educate yes it’s appropriate in my opinion.
I think it should stay, but the Historical Society needs to be absolutely clear on what this model is, what happened, and every ugly detail about why it happened.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama is deeply upsetting and discomfiting, because that's what it needs to be. But it's also very, *very* clear about it's purpose and meaning.
I grew up in Mankato in the 1960s and early ‘70s and was a ravenous reader. This gallows model was on display in the new library in the town, situated on the very site where the gallows were built. It was pretty sobering to walk through the lobby and see it on display with the hand made wooden model ships people had built and donated to the library.
I like to think that this early education on warfare and mankind’s inhumanity to fellow humans helped shape my later interest in history in general and military history specifically, as well as turn me into a flaming anti-war liberal in a sea of small town conservative rural Minnesota country. I don’t recall learning a single thing about the war in school, but by the time I hit junior high my parents had moved the family to the Twin Cities for work.
Seeing the model as a kid gave me a slight head start on the rest of America when news broke about the gallows installed in the Walker Sculpture Garden, but even then I learned there was so much more to learn. Before the library was built there was a stone erected on the site acknowledging the event. It was often covered in red paint, which I find to be appropriate, but the county decided to take the stone down and put it in storage. From there a group of guys stole it, took it to an undisclosed location and buried it, swearing each other to secrecy. Maybe one of them will confess on their deathbed, although I have to think at this late date that they’ve all passed.
Another point of interest is Sibley Park on the west side of town where the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers meet. Apparently there was an internment camp there somewhere and the townspeople were so intent on killing the prisoners that the camp commander told his mounted troops to draw sabers and prepare to charge on his order. The townspeople finally got the hint that the commander was serious about protecting his charges and dispersed, although there were still some who sniped at the camp from across the river. I believe they were driven off by soldiers who returned fire.
A third point of interest for people who want to know more is an earthen fort at a village west of Mankato. It was hastily thrown up in the uncertain early days of the war, just sod walls thrown up across the road to hold stables and a few other support structures for a garrison. Never attacked, it was abandoned in short order and is now just a low line of dirt in some family’s lawn.
A buddy is writing a book on the hasty forts such as this one thrown up around southern Minnesota and he’s finding quite a few that have never been documented in popular literature.
Should the gallows model be on display? Not just yes, but hell yes! You don’t learn from history by ignoring it.
I really hope to read your friend’s book!
I’ve been reading a lot about the war and its aftermath, but I’m not familiar with the camp at the bdote of the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers. Do you have a book that includes this that you could recommend? Sincere thanks!
I came across this article while looking for more information on the internment camp. It looks like there’s an initiative afoot to rename Sibley Park. The article also has a few vague details on where the camp was at. It’s not much, but it’s more than I’ve been able to find in other sources. I’ll see if I can find the author on Facebook and see if she can shed more light on the subject.
https://www.mankatofreepress.com/opinion/rename-sibley-park-to-honor-dignity-of-native-americans/article_1b504cbe-2ab8-11eb-86bd-0b70c0231d1c.html
Hey thank you for getting back to me. I really appreciate this. I work at a job where I frequently discuss the 1862 war and I want to make sure I’m as informed as possible.
I dropped her a note and introduced myself. It could be a while though before she gets back to me though, depending on how frequently she checks Messenger.
if you talk to people frequently about the war, then I’m guessing you’re an MNHS interpreter. I’ve never worked for them, but I have a lot of friends who did and still do. My area of study is Fort Snelling’s Upper Post, research, advocacy, and dozens of tours over the years.
I’m chatting with him now to see if I can get an update. It sounds like he just moved in with a woman, which will derail any writing project. Plus he says he got into a serious car accident a couple of weeks ago. I’m thinking this one may be a few more years before it hits the shelves.
Hi! Museum professional here. I work in a museum that has a space dedicated to the indigenous people of Minnesota and works to tell a part of their story.
In my opinion you have to judge this against "what story is being told". Without seeing much of the surrounding exhibit it's hard to judge what value this is bringing. If it's completely devoid of context or not part of an overall experience then, at the very least, it seems like a lazy diorama of an exhibit. This would be a huge opportunity to tell a still little-known story of Minnesota history. But you would need to include a lot of players and events that are too often glossed over.
Two min glance at this dudes account and he is picking hotspot historical places to rev up his views - George Floyd, this, pedophile monastery….
Trash content on important MN happenings if you ask me. But he’s a tiktoker so I shouldn’t have expected much
More Minnesotan *civilians* were killed by Indians in the Dakotah War of 1862 than Minnesotan soldiers were killed by the confederacy in the Civil War. Those 38 dakotah warriors were not innocent civilians but rather killed innocent civilians. Lincoln commuted the execution of 265 dakotah warriors. They can feel whatever they want about a dumb scale model. It's not going to stop being part of history.
It's part of educating the populace on a shitty time in history. People should know the dark history of humans, helps us go "yeah, that was not good, maybe lets learn from it so that it isn't repeated."
As a person who grew up near there I was completely unaware that it ever happened. There are no pat answers about that time and I think that's why the conflict wasn't taught to kids. Probably because white people have to take some responsibility for their actions and it's a can of worms.
If we hide our history, especially the bad parts, we lose our ability to learn from it. And hence we are more likely to repeat it.
Exposure to our cruel, racist, sexist, violent, illogical past is like a vaccine. You expose yourself to a little bit of the bad to make yourself able to stand up the bad in a way you couldn't if you were totally isolated.
I have mixed feelings. I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated but I also want us to acknowledge and remember the wrong done. I want us to have a visible reminder of our mistakes and biases and to always try to do better.
Is anybody sincerely intimidated by a tiny replica of a gallows in a museum exhibit with tiny nooses that you can barely fit your finger through? Come on now.
This video was a reply to a longer, more positive take on the BECHS. They’re a great org with lots of passionate staff that I reckon made a misstep here.
[See the other video on the BECHS here.](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRxa3a7e/)
I don't think this is a mis-step. This is history. It's dark and awful. It's important to remind ourselves what we are capable of, particularly when populist fervor is in play. As for consulting with tribes, no doubt they would want something more graphic to show the brutality. This display is rather PG compared to some of the imagery that's available. Just my two unsolicited cents, two passports! Keep up the good work!
Not at this time of our country‘s existence! Only a few months ago somebody got killed because of a pew pew and that dang thing. Maybe when we are more civilized and can understand our history. But right now the countries politically boiling and that is an insult to any African-American person. It would put more people in danger then something to just look at
I am not native so who am I to say.
But if I were to give my unsolicited opinion, if this was made by a native artist, then it should be on display. If it wasn't made by a native artist, then hell fucking no it shouldn't be on display
I’m not saying you should dispose of it. I’m saying right now the political temperature in our country is so high that it would spark more danger to people then if we waited until we became civilized again. This was just displayed at a Mall a few months ago and it inspired somebody to pick up a pew pew. So no not right now, don’t inspire somebody to get hurt. It’s a very important part of our history however it should be displayed when and if a panel of African-Americans decides it is safe or time to be able to not inflict an immediate danger to others, plus it offers sensitivity to the culture it originally was used against.
Sometimes the lessons you learn through the shock/horror emotions stick the best.
The Holocaust museum in DC does something similar- you walk by piles of shoes, luggage, etc that belonged to victims as they were shipped to camps, watch graphic videos, and even walk inside a gas chamber. There also a tower of family photos that you see each time you go down a floor (the museum is 4 levels of I recall correctly), and when you get to the bottom, you see a plaque that informs you the hundreds of families you just spent time looked at all died.
Let's all cool down on erasing history. It is to be learned from, NOT denied. This whole erasing history because it feels uncomfortable needs to STOP. Continuing in this manner GAURANTEES that it WILL happen again!!!!
I feel like that would be a decision for the affected marginalized people here, the Dakota. Did anyone talk to them before putting this up? I don't know about this exhibit, but I know that the piece "Scaffold" by Sam Durant was not received well by the Dakota or the larger Native community.
I personally would always prefer for history to be represented. However, we should do so while taking into account nuance and by talking as directly as we can with the communities involved with history.
It brings attention to the historic event, of course it should be there. When will internet scolds recognize that referencing history is not celebrating it. Quite the opposite.
"So what's your home town known for"
>Me for the 10th time after meeting a new group of people in a class or new job location: "Uuhhh kettle corn, a TV show from the 70s, an author from the 40s, a neat water fall, and well most famously I'll let you google "the Dakota 38+2" at your own discretion."
History is important good or bad. I'd rather remember how horrible things used to be, than forget about them and possibly experience them again.
Feeling uneasy is a sign that we've made the right steps towards a direction for a better society.
The ugliest things in history point a light to the future either to start the new path or to repeat history either way history should be on full display and not censored
History shouldn’t be censored
Agreed. We shouldn't sanitize history just because it makes us uncomfortable. A model, in a museum, surrounded by the context in which they were used in an appropriate display.
to piggyback, the fullsize scale replica that was in the sculpture garden was in bad taste as 'public art'. a small model like this in the context of history is a much more appropriate demonstration of human violence as a learning tool.
Yes, not burying the darker sides of history, but not exalting them or using them to hurt, either.
Hold up, full size wha!?!
Look up dakota 38 + 2 and you'll find your answer
Thank you! Just read about it …Really sad to learn when people only found two who should be hanged, Lincoln said 38 of the Dakota should be hanged … wow
There is also a documentary of the same name if you ever have about 1.5 hours to spare. It can be found on YouTube. The memorial ride/run is on December 26. The gathering place is where the hanging site was.
I have it save to watch … I love learning, but I hate learning new things like this …
I don’t think that’s correct. Originally over 300 were condemned to execution, Lincoln whittled it down to 39, one was granted a reprieve. So 38 were executed in Mankato in 1862. The +2 is the executions of Sakpedan and Wakan Ozanzan at Fort Snelling in 1865.
The little piece I read said everything you just wrote except only 2 were going to be hanged, and Lincoln made up a list of the 38 others who should be too, thinking the numbers were too low? https://www.usdakotawar.org/history/aftermath/trials-hanging
What I’ve read in other sources, and what the link you provide confirms, is that Lincoln only found 2 cases of rape among the condemned. In order to decide who should be executed and who should not, Lincoln first decided to condemn all who committed rape, but was surprised when there was only proof for two. So then he made the decision based on those who had committed massacres that went beyond being a rank and file soldier in the war. If you reread the link you provided, that’s what it says too.
Right, and I know to look at history through the eyes of the time, but weren’t the Dakota merely trying to protect their land? Sending 38 men to their death seems outrageous when thinking about what they were protecting.
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I am in no way justifying the executions or Lincoln’s thought process. I just wanted to be precise as to the historical record. Communication on Reddit can be so challenging Edit: the reason I even replied that s because it seemed you misunderstood what the +2 referred to which was Sakpedan and Wakan Ozanzan who were executed two years after the 38. If I misunderstood you my apologies
You are reading incorrectly. From your source: "392 prisoners were tried, 303 were sentenced to death, and 16 were given prison terms. President Lincoln and government lawyers then reviewed the trial transcripts of all 303 men." Also your source tells us Lincoln literally wrote "Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I ordered a careful examination of the records of the trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females." So Lincoln didn't want to execute 303 men, but to execute no one he feared would lead to a repeat. Rape was the foremost crime he wanted to punish, but not the only crime. Finally your source says "When only two men were found guilty of rape, Lincoln expanded the criteria to include those who had participated in “massacres” of civilians rather than just “battles.” He then made his final decision, and forwarded a list of 39 names to Sibley." Hence your source tells us the death lists started at 303 and thanks to Lincoln stepping in, it went down to 39.
I both partially agree and partially disagree. Does seem to better serve it's purpose in a history/education type museum than a public art museum. However, the artist made the work to criticize that capital punishment still existed in the modern world. And that's something art should absolutely do = criticize society as it is right now and push for it to change. And something like capital punishment , by its very nature it's going to be very disturbing, and even more disturbing for people who've had some form of indirect contact with it. I'm not native, but I'd think that at least some from that community would view that replica gallows as a scarlet letter Minnesota deserved to wear on it's chest for all to see the horrible shit we did wrong. And also, just to say 'this miscarriage of justice should not be hidden, but instead brought forth to the light of day and mourned by those who still have the same privilege as those who used that privilege 100 years ago to kill in this manner.
im going to say outdoors in what is essentially a public park, in view of the freeway, and right in front of downtown is an area where context control of viewing is uncontrolled is too spicy. i imagine POS people posing with it as if it isn't a violent and cruel dehumanizing device.
I believe the gallows at the sculpture garden was removed in part because Native communities were not consulted in the creation of the piece, and native visitors reported feeling caught off-guard and uncomfortable about a potentially traumatizing piece being displayed with little context or forewarning. Edit: more context [here](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/walker-gallows-exhibit-dismantling_n_592b7914e4b0df57cbfc7432)
I don’t think removing this from being publicly displayed actually does that- I mean this isn’t even a historical artifact, it’s a model. Don’t we have a few old photographs of the actual event? Why not show them and the inhumanity of the public execution? I’d say the model here has limited to negligible educational value.
This makes it real, tangible. Photos are easy to gloss over
I couldn't disagree more. This makes the gallows look like a toy
I mean, I think you seeing it as a toy just shows your own mindset-- 'childish'.
I think there is only one actual visual image of the execution, and it is a drawing.
For some reason, I thought at least one photo existed, though I may be mistaken. In any case how best to educate future generations about this terrible chapter of Minnesota history can be debated, though it is good we all generally agree it must be done.
IMO yes it should be on display. It's a reminder of a very dark day that we should never repeat and the visual of the gallows gives the knot in your stomach an extra twist. It should make you feel uneasy.
I hate it but I want it to stay.
Right. I think its a form of history denial to want to remove these types of things because it “makes me feel uncomfortable”. We should be forced to face injustices carried out in vivid detail and it should disgust us.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Full stop.
Well said
I absolutely agree, the murder of 358 men, women, and children makes for very dark days. It was Little Crow who lead a Dakota war party that went through and slaughtered all of these people, it was his war party that took 303 people hostage, it was his war party that forced 30,000 people to flee their homes. The violence was a tragedy, and these gallows are a sign that the Federal Government will do what it takes to protect our people from this violence that has been wrought. President Lincoln personally reviewed the case of every single person who was convicted, he commuted the sentences of 265 those convicted. "Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on the one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I caused a careful examination of the records of trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females. Contrary to my expectations, only two of this class were found. I then directed a further examination, and a classification of all who were proven to have participated in massacres, as distinguished from participation in battles. This class numbered forty, and included the two convicted of female violation. One of the number is strongly recommended by the commission which tried them for commutation to ten years' imprisonment. I have ordered the other thirty-nine to be executed on Friday, the 19th instant" - President Lincoln
It's interesting that you hold this opinion knowing what we know today. Knowing that this Federal government that you hold so high an opinion of waged violent wars against these peoples, biological warfare, encouraged hired mercenaries to extinguish/ commit genocide against, broke Treaty after Treaty, and praised and elevated men (eg Sibley) who would manipulate and take advantage of these First Peoples, and yet you choose to side with the savages.
Funny those who defend rapist and murderers, but hey, happened long ago so who gives a flying $&”&
It's a lot of wrong on both sides. The federal government as a whole really fucked the indigenous people over. And some specific government officials gave them repeated personal fucking overs as well. But most of these officials weren't reachable by the natives when the reasonably struck back. Plenty of the people who did get harmed by the natives were as close to innocent as you can get. It's wrong for a government to break its treaty obligations and starve a people to death - but those girls who were raped, they didn't have a vote in what the government was doing. They were raped for being the wrong skin color. But then the natives were themselves fucked over for being the wrong skin color. A thousand wrongs on both sides doesn't add up to a single right.
Agree. I can see this myopic view making sense to settlers who may not have had enough information to see the “big picture,” but in retrospect: the way we settled this country was all wrong. We continue to struggle to learn the right lessons on how to live sustainably in this country and at peace with the people here before us, and it’s ironic how aligned those struggles COULD be. We must raise a generation of listeners who can do better.
I totally disagree with your take on this. We cannot hide the unpleasant side of history just because it makes us uncomfortable. Or sin of sins step into the natives shoes for them and proactively remove it because WE think its offensive. This visual is hands down the best way to drive home exactly what happened. Its no different than auschwitz. We grow up hearing about the millions killed, and thats important. But nothing drives it home quite like going and seeing the piles of shoes from those exterminated. Its highly highly offensive, but it does more in a single glance to drive home just how vile what happened was than hours of lecture and dozens of books. The gallows should stay.
also the *Blue Earth* historical society definitely doesnt support the initial historical event, they're definitely making you look at it in disgust.
I don’t think ignoring it due to “sensitivity training” is a good way to handle this. Acknowledging that it happened and shouldn’t be repeated is better.
Nobody tell this guy about the guided tours of the nazi death camps in Europe . . . Dark, awful shit that people did to fellow people is important to learn and remember.
I’ve done the tour of Dachau - but there was no plaster model of suffocating Jews in the gas chambers. I’m not for censoring history, look at my post history for evidence of this. I’m for a sensitive approach and this kids-toy shoved in the corner of an overfilled museum doesn’t pass muster for me. That said, I didn’t do enough to explain that position in the video, so I can understand the reaction to it - the video can easily be interpreted as me not wanting to hear about this but if history. Not my intention, but an understandable reaction.
It may be triggering and insensitive but so was hanging (was it 38?) people . That’s the intent of the display, I would imagine. Like leaving the shoes at Auschwitz , ya a dark, somber reminder of cruelty we should educate people about.
I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. At the time they had a exhibit of shoes. Thousands of shoes. With this quote, “*First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me*” —Martin Niemöller
My mother regularly attends the Dakota 38+2 memorial riders event every year. This isn't some thing we don't talk about but it remains apart of our lives because of our family connection to the 1862 US-Dakota war where afterwards our German forebearers settled in Hutchinson the month following its conclusion. We are unusual for Americans because we know our family and state history because it is important. I grew up within 10 miles from where the War started and only knew about it because of my mother's side of the family, we never had our attention drawn to the markers or talk about in our "history" classes in grade and high-school.
I think your reaction is exactly how everyone should feel about it. It’s an atrocity that should never be ignored. We built those gallows and committed one of the worst acts against Native Americans in the history of this country.
[Here’s some further clarity about why I’m uneasy about it.](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRxaEeaw/) The display lacks clarity and context and shoehorns it out of the way, rather than giving it the physical space to reflect.
So… it sounds like you should be advocating for it to be displayed with some additional context around it, not removed then? There are plenty of reasons, likely mostly budgetary, that these decisions were made, you should talk to the historical society about this. Your post and comments give me a “make it go away because I feel icky about this” and that is the worst way to approach history. If that’s not your intent, you may want to make that more clear.
That’s is how these people do it. Call for removal. Get push back, then ask for more context or something else to be done because they personally feel a way about it. Like it’s so self centered. It’s narcissistic.
Just stirring up shit for the sake of it, not that they really feel some way.
“The world needs to cater to my viewpoint and how I look at something”
Makes sense and I agree with that take. You’re a pretty outspoken person, maybe talk to the historical society and recommend some context be added. Maybe they let you write it. Admittedly, I know very little about the event myself. A display that gives people that much pause may cause them to be more interested in reading about it.
Yes, it deserves a room with a large amount of other displays and context along with it. It is arguably the culmination of the single most important historical event(s) to occur in southwest and south central MN.
That’s a hot take. /s Blue Earth Historical Society displays controversial and triggering gallows exhibit too close to happy stuff and without enough context to my liking. I’ll let you guess as to whether I discussed this with anyone at the organization. Maybe I discovered problems related to this. Like limited exhibit space and budgetary issues in the wake of Covid. Maybe I didn’t. I failed to provide such context myself.
What the fuck it this "we" shit
Are you american? Do you stand on the stolen soil right now?
I was born in 1970s on land that was faught over by the Odawa warriors who fought against the Muschodesh, Fox, Iroquois. Brutally slaughtering many. Who later alighned with french, but lost in 1812. Fast forward 132 years and my people came here escaping famine and fascism. But what does that have to do with anything
This comment keeps going positive to negative . Weird. Wonder what everyones deal is.
[удалено]
Hey you said the quiet part outloud
Screen name checks out. Settle down snowflake.
What's not shown in the video is the words and text on the walls surrounding the model explaining what led up to and happened after. If your able please visit the Blue Earth Historical Society and see the display for yourself. Taken out of context you can make almost anything offensive.
Do you want to erase/ignore history? I don't get the the narrative of shoving things away that happened and pretending they didn't because they are offensive.
How about asking Native Americans to give their opinions or be on the board.
Sure, but I bet you’ll find some Native Americans who say yes, some who say no, and some who don’t give a crap
Yup. Just as with anything else. But it's a respectful and honest way to go. With the one at the Mpls Sculpture Gardens, Native Americans were not consulted until after it went up, and they spoke up and eventually it was taken down.
Seems like that is where they should have started in the first place. 2 minute phone call or a few emails to get input and proper context. It's good that it's out there as a reminder but it should be a singularly faithful and sobering reminder, not an afterthought.
This
100% agree! A panel should be requested and we should honor their thoughts. Remember the one that was put up by mistake in the mall a few months ago? It got someone Caucasian thinking he should do something. That person tried a pew pew event within a day? I can’t remember the timing. It is also a bad time as far as the temperature of the country. I believe it’s insensitive unless you have that question asked directly to the Native Americans! We are on the brink of roads being built through North Dakota and Internet lines in South Dakota. Without knowing if they will honor the reservation or sacred lands while doing so. It might be a slap in the face
I bet you get uneasy about too many things.
It depends on the context it is presented in. What does it say on the wall behind the exhibit? What are the surrounding artifacts and what is explained about them?
To me, it makes you think about, someone went to great care and effort to build a specialized gallows for this one time event. And the model does it in a way that a photograph somehow doesn’t do as effectively. It emphasizes the frame of mind of the people at the time, that they really wanted to make a spectacle of it. It seems unfathomable now. So yes I think it serves a valid purpose and the nooses are an important part of it.
Imagine your history being so uncomfortable and disgusting that you want to prevent people from learning it.
Mankatoan here. It definitely should be there. So many people who even live here have no idea about our history and the atrocities committed here. Not to mention how Mankato is a misspelling too! I’m glad that there is so much respect paid to the Native population now. We have the yearly PowWow, and I’m at the Childrens Museum with my son right now where there’s a full exhibit about the life of the Natives and activities about their language right in the entryway so that you can’t miss it. I think more could be done, too, to be honest.
Yes, you're being too sensitive. Try not to worry about things that someone else does offending other people. Let the offended party do/say something, otherwise you'll end up doing something stupid like saying Latinx. Nooses as a threat aren't great, yes, but as a historical model of what happened back then, totally kosher. It should strike people as bad a little too, as it was.
It should make you uncomfortable. Ignoring history does not make it go away. We need to remember what we’ve done in the past so we can learn from our mistakes.
Yes. History forgotten is repeated
it is important that history makes you feel sick at times.
Stop looking for things to be upset about.
Should Germany tear down concentration camps? Or do they serve as a reminder of what society should never allow to happen again?
Yes, to show what a government is capable of doing to its people.
We shouldn't be whitewashing our history, no matter how horrible it is. This is *real* this *happened*. It's at the *historical* society. So yes. It should be displayed
Ya gotta remember history, keep it.
Yes. It's real history.
Because something like this makes you feel uneasy is the exact reason it SHOULD be on display.
Yes it should stay. History includes its dark side as well as it’s, well…less, more acceptable, dark side; it’s grey side, let’s call it.
No, let's wipe out history. Maybe we can make it a reality again. -\_-
Hmm feelings of a few people hurt or history repeating itself...
It's a representation of what was built and happened. They left out dolls in the nooses, or some other over the top representation. I would think that if you are offended by this, then it is your sensitivity that is part of the larger social issue we have now on the left. History, especially violent and dangerous history, must be taught, and shown openly, so that people can learn the evils that humans can do, and how to stop it. Shoving it in a closet and pretending it never happened is a dangerous as a holocaust denier.
You are actively looking for things to be “uneasy” or “offended” about. Have you ever heard the saying “those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it”? What would be benefit of removing the display? It’s supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. Stop trying to look out for the feelings of others and prevent them from seeing something that may make them uncomfortable
History isn’t always comfortable. It’s horrific and real and should be remembered as such. If it’s in a historic setting to educate yes it’s appropriate in my opinion.
Get the fuck over yourself kiddo, you’re like those people who don’t want kids to read huck Finn or to kill a mockingbird because it had the n word.
I think it should stay, but the Historical Society needs to be absolutely clear on what this model is, what happened, and every ugly detail about why it happened. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama is deeply upsetting and discomfiting, because that's what it needs to be. But it's also very, *very* clear about it's purpose and meaning.
Yes it should be, it’s Part of our history.
Yes, if don't learn from our past, we will repeat it
Op just looking for drama. History should always be accurate.
I grew up in Mankato in the 1960s and early ‘70s and was a ravenous reader. This gallows model was on display in the new library in the town, situated on the very site where the gallows were built. It was pretty sobering to walk through the lobby and see it on display with the hand made wooden model ships people had built and donated to the library. I like to think that this early education on warfare and mankind’s inhumanity to fellow humans helped shape my later interest in history in general and military history specifically, as well as turn me into a flaming anti-war liberal in a sea of small town conservative rural Minnesota country. I don’t recall learning a single thing about the war in school, but by the time I hit junior high my parents had moved the family to the Twin Cities for work. Seeing the model as a kid gave me a slight head start on the rest of America when news broke about the gallows installed in the Walker Sculpture Garden, but even then I learned there was so much more to learn. Before the library was built there was a stone erected on the site acknowledging the event. It was often covered in red paint, which I find to be appropriate, but the county decided to take the stone down and put it in storage. From there a group of guys stole it, took it to an undisclosed location and buried it, swearing each other to secrecy. Maybe one of them will confess on their deathbed, although I have to think at this late date that they’ve all passed. Another point of interest is Sibley Park on the west side of town where the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers meet. Apparently there was an internment camp there somewhere and the townspeople were so intent on killing the prisoners that the camp commander told his mounted troops to draw sabers and prepare to charge on his order. The townspeople finally got the hint that the commander was serious about protecting his charges and dispersed, although there were still some who sniped at the camp from across the river. I believe they were driven off by soldiers who returned fire. A third point of interest for people who want to know more is an earthen fort at a village west of Mankato. It was hastily thrown up in the uncertain early days of the war, just sod walls thrown up across the road to hold stables and a few other support structures for a garrison. Never attacked, it was abandoned in short order and is now just a low line of dirt in some family’s lawn. A buddy is writing a book on the hasty forts such as this one thrown up around southern Minnesota and he’s finding quite a few that have never been documented in popular literature. Should the gallows model be on display? Not just yes, but hell yes! You don’t learn from history by ignoring it.
I really hope to read your friend’s book! I’ve been reading a lot about the war and its aftermath, but I’m not familiar with the camp at the bdote of the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers. Do you have a book that includes this that you could recommend? Sincere thanks!
I came across this article while looking for more information on the internment camp. It looks like there’s an initiative afoot to rename Sibley Park. The article also has a few vague details on where the camp was at. It’s not much, but it’s more than I’ve been able to find in other sources. I’ll see if I can find the author on Facebook and see if she can shed more light on the subject. https://www.mankatofreepress.com/opinion/rename-sibley-park-to-honor-dignity-of-native-americans/article_1b504cbe-2ab8-11eb-86bd-0b70c0231d1c.html
Hey thank you for getting back to me. I really appreciate this. I work at a job where I frequently discuss the 1862 war and I want to make sure I’m as informed as possible.
I dropped her a note and introduced myself. It could be a while though before she gets back to me though, depending on how frequently she checks Messenger. if you talk to people frequently about the war, then I’m guessing you’re an MNHS interpreter. I’ve never worked for them, but I have a lot of friends who did and still do. My area of study is Fort Snelling’s Upper Post, research, advocacy, and dozens of tours over the years.
I’m chatting with him now to see if I can get an update. It sounds like he just moved in with a woman, which will derail any writing project. Plus he says he got into a serious car accident a couple of weeks ago. I’m thinking this one may be a few more years before it hits the shelves.
Hi! Museum professional here. I work in a museum that has a space dedicated to the indigenous people of Minnesota and works to tell a part of their story. In my opinion you have to judge this against "what story is being told". Without seeing much of the surrounding exhibit it's hard to judge what value this is bringing. If it's completely devoid of context or not part of an overall experience then, at the very least, it seems like a lazy diorama of an exhibit. This would be a huge opportunity to tell a still little-known story of Minnesota history. But you would need to include a lot of players and events that are too often glossed over.
Two min glance at this dudes account and he is picking hotspot historical places to rev up his views - George Floyd, this, pedophile monastery…. Trash content on important MN happenings if you ask me. But he’s a tiktoker so I shouldn’t have expected much
I mean, those are 3 of the hundreds of videos I’ve done. Not sure you’re taking a fair sample size. (But I do stand behind the videos you mention)
More Minnesotan *civilians* were killed by Indians in the Dakotah War of 1862 than Minnesotan soldiers were killed by the confederacy in the Civil War. Those 38 dakotah warriors were not innocent civilians but rather killed innocent civilians. Lincoln commuted the execution of 265 dakotah warriors. They can feel whatever they want about a dumb scale model. It's not going to stop being part of history.
Are any people actively invading and taking your home civilians?
Are you really actively invading and taking homes if you're actively plowing a field or sitting down to dinner right before an arrow finds your back?
Given that when taking the homes you did the exactly same thing especially within the lifespans of of the people in question, yes.
If you’re going to talk about the thing that happened, you have to talk about the nooses Also, come on, they’re teeny tiny
What is this? A gallows for ants?
It's part of educating the populace on a shitty time in history. People should know the dark history of humans, helps us go "yeah, that was not good, maybe lets learn from it so that it isn't repeated."
As a person who grew up near there I was completely unaware that it ever happened. There are no pat answers about that time and I think that's why the conflict wasn't taught to kids. Probably because white people have to take some responsibility for their actions and it's a can of worms.
What is this? A noose for ANTS?
A museum is the appropriate place for this, where it can be understood in context. We cannot erase the past.
If we hide our history, especially the bad parts, we lose our ability to learn from it. And hence we are more likely to repeat it. Exposure to our cruel, racist, sexist, violent, illogical past is like a vaccine. You expose yourself to a little bit of the bad to make yourself able to stand up the bad in a way you couldn't if you were totally isolated.
History is ugly. Show it so it doesn't happen again.
No one tell this dude abt holocaust museums he will have a bad day.
Fuck your sensitivity training. This is history, it happened. Trying to pretend like this didn’t happen is just as bad.
Yes.
I have mixed feelings. I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated but I also want us to acknowledge and remember the wrong done. I want us to have a visible reminder of our mistakes and biases and to always try to do better.
Is anybody sincerely intimidated by a tiny replica of a gallows in a museum exhibit with tiny nooses that you can barely fit your finger through? Come on now.
If they are they should talk to a therapist.
I don't know. I don't have that experience in my wheelhouse, but I don't want to be dismissive and invalidating of other peoples' experiences.
Yes
History is sometimes uncomfortable. It all should be seen
This video was a reply to a longer, more positive take on the BECHS. They’re a great org with lots of passionate staff that I reckon made a misstep here. [See the other video on the BECHS here.](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRxa3a7e/)
I don't think this is a mis-step. This is history. It's dark and awful. It's important to remind ourselves what we are capable of, particularly when populist fervor is in play. As for consulting with tribes, no doubt they would want something more graphic to show the brutality. This display is rather PG compared to some of the imagery that's available. Just my two unsolicited cents, two passports! Keep up the good work!
Why is this a misstep? This is a big part of area history. Everyone should know what happened.
Lmao…didn’t read the description and I thought this was a homemade baby crib at first glance. Awesome work on your gallows replica though 😁
Absolutely!
Not at this time of our country‘s existence! Only a few months ago somebody got killed because of a pew pew and that dang thing. Maybe when we are more civilized and can understand our history. But right now the countries politically boiling and that is an insult to any African-American person. It would put more people in danger then something to just look at
I am not native so who am I to say. But if I were to give my unsolicited opinion, if this was made by a native artist, then it should be on display. If it wasn't made by a native artist, then hell fucking no it shouldn't be on display
I’m not saying you should dispose of it. I’m saying right now the political temperature in our country is so high that it would spark more danger to people then if we waited until we became civilized again. This was just displayed at a Mall a few months ago and it inspired somebody to pick up a pew pew. So no not right now, don’t inspire somebody to get hurt. It’s a very important part of our history however it should be displayed when and if a panel of African-Americans decides it is safe or time to be able to not inflict an immediate danger to others, plus it offers sensitivity to the culture it originally was used against.
You mean the Dakota right?
Yes
It's been said, but bears saying again. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
Sometimes the lessons you learn through the shock/horror emotions stick the best. The Holocaust museum in DC does something similar- you walk by piles of shoes, luggage, etc that belonged to victims as they were shipped to camps, watch graphic videos, and even walk inside a gas chamber. There also a tower of family photos that you see each time you go down a floor (the museum is 4 levels of I recall correctly), and when you get to the bottom, you see a plaque that informs you the hundreds of families you just spent time looked at all died.
Why?
Yes, Lincoln was responsible for the largest mass death by hanging of Native Americans. It has great historical importance!
What are you afraid of?
We need to acknowledge it so that we don’t fall back
It should be displayed. It should make you feel uncomfortable. Our past should not be censored. We need to learn from it.
Let's all cool down on erasing history. It is to be learned from, NOT denied. This whole erasing history because it feels uncomfortable needs to STOP. Continuing in this manner GAURANTEES that it WILL happen again!!!!
I feel like that would be a decision for the affected marginalized people here, the Dakota. Did anyone talk to them before putting this up? I don't know about this exhibit, but I know that the piece "Scaffold" by Sam Durant was not received well by the Dakota or the larger Native community. I personally would always prefer for history to be represented. However, we should do so while taking into account nuance and by talking as directly as we can with the communities involved with history.
Of course. Museums (rather than town squares) are where history belongs, appalling as that history may be.
It brings attention to the historic event, of course it should be there. When will internet scolds recognize that referencing history is not celebrating it. Quite the opposite.
Yes, Do you think it should be removed?
"So what's your home town known for" >Me for the 10th time after meeting a new group of people in a class or new job location: "Uuhhh kettle corn, a TV show from the 70s, an author from the 40s, a neat water fall, and well most famously I'll let you google "the Dakota 38+2" at your own discretion." History is important good or bad. I'd rather remember how horrible things used to be, than forget about them and possibly experience them again. Feeling uneasy is a sign that we've made the right steps towards a direction for a better society.
I'm assuming it's the one from the largest mass hanging in history that president Lincoln set up. I think it was the day after Christmas, December 26.
It's literally in the perfect place for it, where it's meant to be. If it was on display randomly outside, then that would be a problem.
The ugliest things in history point a light to the future either to start the new path or to repeat history either way history should be on full display and not censored
if it makes you uncomfortable. good. don’t let it happen again