Little Crow

A key figure in the first years of Minnesota’s statehood, Little Crow (or Taoyateduta) (ca. 1810 - 1863) is best known for his role in the Dakota Conflict of 1862. Little Crow was a strong leader of the Mdewakanton Dakota people, though he also met with significant internal dissent and opposition. He acted as both diplomat in Washington and leader of the uprising against the state. As a leader, he valued the indigenous cultures that were subverted by the expanding United States but also believed in the necessity of adapting to the expanding state.

Childhood

Little Crow was born in about 1810 into a long line of hereditary chiefs of the Mdewakanton village of Kaposia. The name "Little Crow" came from white traders, who had used the same name for several of his forebears. Among his own people, Little Crow was called "Taoyateduta" or "His Red Nation," a name that he chose for himself as a part of his preparations for the responsibilities that he would have as an adult.