Shakopee II

Shakopee II (d. 1860), also called Ṡaḳpedaƞ , was a Mdewakanton Dakota chief who was known as "The Orator of the Sioux." He was described by Reverend Samuel W. Pond of the First Presbyterian Church of Shakopee as "a man of marked ability in council and one of the ablest and most effective orators in the whole Dakota Nation."

The city of Shakopee, Minnesota was named after Chief Shakopee II when it was first founded in 1851.

Relationship with missionaries In 1846, Chief Shakopee II invited missionary Gideon Pond to move to his village, Tintonwan, near present-day Shakopee, Minnesota.

Shakopee promised that children from his village would attend the school, and that Pond would be provided with pasture and fuel. Pond finally consented and built a house at what he called "Prairieville" in 1847, and lived there until he died in 1891.

Although Pond held "Shakpay" in high regard for his oratorical skills, he also described as an enigmatic man who was "at the same time admired and despised by all who knew him." Pond explained:Shakpay died before the massacre of the whites; if he had been living at the time, he might perhaps have prevented it, for his influence with his people was great and he always advocated the cultivation of peace and friendship with the white people. He sometimes alarmed the timid by the use of threatening language, but never seemed disposed to do serious injury to anyone. With all his faults, he was neither quarrelsome nor vindictive.

Annuities of food and money were to be distributed from the federal government to the Indians as part of the treaty, but several years later after the outbreak of the American Civil War, United States broke their treaty obligations.

Battle of Shakopee The Battle of Shakopee took place in 1858, and was the last major conflict between the Dakota and Ojibwe. Dozens of warriors engaged in fighting, resulting in deaths on both sides, with no clear victor.

Death and legacy The death of "Old Shakopee" was announced on October 16, 1860 in the St. Paul Pioneer and Democrat.