April 29, 2024 - 5:23am | By Ty Schonert
(Mankato, MN) -- A Native American tribe is asking the Minnesota Historical Society to return an artifact used in a mass execution in the 1800s.
The Prairie Island Indian Community has filed a claim through its Historic Preservation Office to have the "Mankato Hanging Rope" returned to the tribe. The noose was used to hang 38 Dakota men in Mankato in 1862 following the U.S.-Dakota War. The tribe says the noose was stolen from the grave of a tribal member and was later donated to the Historical Society.
The request is under review, and a decision is expected by late next month.