Post by mdenney on Feb 25, 2007 21:13:26 GMT -5
OLD BETS - A full blooded Sioux of the M'dewakontonwan tribe, her Sioux name was "Aza-ya-man-ka-wan" ("Berry Picker"). She was born near Mendota in 1788, and at the time of her death was only 75, although she was supposed to be 100. She was married to "Ma-za-sa-gia" ("Iron Sword") who died a few years later at Mendota. She had several children, including Ta-opi. She was a sister of One-Legged Jim and He-in-da-koo.
Old Bets lived her entire life in the St. Paul area, and was much photographed by tourists. She was very proud that her picture was seen all over the world in the albums of St. Paul visitors. She subsisted on a small charge for taking her picture, and by begging food from settlers who all knew her as a cheerful and kind woman, and who always obliged. During the Sioux war, she was especially kind to white prisoners, and was converted to Christianity shortly before her death. Her many friends in the community paid for a Christian burial when she passed away in 1873. [WM252-4]
She was married to "Ma-za-sa-gia" ("Iron Sword") who died a few years later at Mendota
IRON SWORD - A M'dawakontonwan Sioux, also known as "Ma-za-sa-gia", he was the husband of Old Bets. He died in Mendota a few years after they were married. [WM252
She had several children, including Ta-opi
TA-OPI - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux, son of Old Bets and Iron Sword, he was noted as a convert to Christianity, and, after his death in Faribault, MN, in 1869, Bishop Henry Whipple published a fine volume of his biography with an engraved portrait. The town of Taopi, MN, in Mower County, was named for him. His name means "Wounded Man". [WM252]
She was a sister of One-Legged Jim and He-in-da-koo.
ONE-LEGGED JIM - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux and brother of Old Bets, he had lost a leg in a skirmish in the spring of 1842 after a war party of Chippewa Indians attacked Little Crow's band of Sioux at Kaposia. The Chippewas were pursued as far as Stillwater, and a battle took place upon the grounds where the old prison on north Main Street stood in 1900. In this fight Jim, lost his leg. It was broken below the knee and hung by a fragment. He took his knife, and cut it off himself, and thus became his own surgeon, He used to, and used to peg around on a wooden stump which he made for himself. He was well known to most of the settlers and was never backward about begging. In one incident in 1853, Old Bets, Jim, and another sister were attacked by Chippewas in the streets of St. Paul. The sister fell mortally wounded, and residents of the town chased the retreating Chippewas, who suddenly stopped, turned on their pursuers, and asked why the white men were chasing them, as it was none of their affair, and that whites had no right to interfere in their rights. The whites didn't know how to answer them, and were about to let them go when Jim, from the shelter of a nearby store picked up a rifle and shot at them, wounding their leader. He then stumped back, defiantly yelling a war whoop. He was also known as "Wooden-Legged Jim" and Techa, his Indian name.[WM252,336-8]
HE-IN-DA-KOO - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux, and brother of Old Bets and One-Legged Jim, he was a famous warrior, prophet, and medicine man. He was killed by the Chippewas in the 1850's. [WM252]
www.lareau.org/pep-a.html
Old Bets lived her entire life in the St. Paul area, and was much photographed by tourists. She was very proud that her picture was seen all over the world in the albums of St. Paul visitors. She subsisted on a small charge for taking her picture, and by begging food from settlers who all knew her as a cheerful and kind woman, and who always obliged. During the Sioux war, she was especially kind to white prisoners, and was converted to Christianity shortly before her death. Her many friends in the community paid for a Christian burial when she passed away in 1873. [WM252-4]
She was married to "Ma-za-sa-gia" ("Iron Sword") who died a few years later at Mendota
IRON SWORD - A M'dawakontonwan Sioux, also known as "Ma-za-sa-gia", he was the husband of Old Bets. He died in Mendota a few years after they were married. [WM252
She had several children, including Ta-opi
TA-OPI - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux, son of Old Bets and Iron Sword, he was noted as a convert to Christianity, and, after his death in Faribault, MN, in 1869, Bishop Henry Whipple published a fine volume of his biography with an engraved portrait. The town of Taopi, MN, in Mower County, was named for him. His name means "Wounded Man". [WM252]
She was a sister of One-Legged Jim and He-in-da-koo.
ONE-LEGGED JIM - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux and brother of Old Bets, he had lost a leg in a skirmish in the spring of 1842 after a war party of Chippewa Indians attacked Little Crow's band of Sioux at Kaposia. The Chippewas were pursued as far as Stillwater, and a battle took place upon the grounds where the old prison on north Main Street stood in 1900. In this fight Jim, lost his leg. It was broken below the knee and hung by a fragment. He took his knife, and cut it off himself, and thus became his own surgeon, He used to, and used to peg around on a wooden stump which he made for himself. He was well known to most of the settlers and was never backward about begging. In one incident in 1853, Old Bets, Jim, and another sister were attacked by Chippewas in the streets of St. Paul. The sister fell mortally wounded, and residents of the town chased the retreating Chippewas, who suddenly stopped, turned on their pursuers, and asked why the white men were chasing them, as it was none of their affair, and that whites had no right to interfere in their rights. The whites didn't know how to answer them, and were about to let them go when Jim, from the shelter of a nearby store picked up a rifle and shot at them, wounding their leader. He then stumped back, defiantly yelling a war whoop. He was also known as "Wooden-Legged Jim" and Techa, his Indian name.[WM252,336-8]
HE-IN-DA-KOO - A M'dewakontonwan Sioux, and brother of Old Bets and One-Legged Jim, he was a famous warrior, prophet, and medicine man. He was killed by the Chippewas in the 1850's. [WM252]
www.lareau.org/pep-a.html
