Wapahasha II (The Leaf) - Wabasha, MN.
N 44° 23.053 W 092° 01.843
15T E 577208 N 4915004
This statue and monument can be found along the banks of the Mississippi River in Wabash, Minnesota
Waymark Code: WMCRR1
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2011
Views: 10
This life size statue of Chief Wapahasha II stands by a main pool of water with five rising fountains and two mini waterfalls. The Chief has his right arm raised with a sprig of cedar in his hand. This was the Dakota way of telling his people to listen, he has something important to say.
The statue was created by JoAnne Bird of Brookings, South Dakota. She herself is a Native American and a descendant of the Wapahasha.
Text from nearby marker:
Wapahasha II
Wapahasha II or La Feuille (The Leaf) was born in the 1760s and became the highly skilled diplomatic leader of the Dakota Nation from the late 1790s through 1836. The son of the greatest hero of the Dakota Nation, was recognized by the Americans as the "first chief" of his tribe and as such had contacts with Spanish, American, and British officials. After the Americans made the Louisiana Purchase, he aided Tecumthe in the formation of a British-Indian confederacy to fight in the War of 1812 against the Americans. He afterward established his village below the bluff known as Wapasha's Cap (now known as Sugarloaf) at present day Winona, Minnesota. He adjusted uneasily to the rapid inroad of the American government into the affairs of his nation. He signed a number of treaties with the government and was also constantly involved in the affairs with the Ojibway Ho-Chunk, and Sac and Fox tribes. His long life was ended when he caught smallpox in 1836. In 1843 the settlers a Rocque's Landing changed the name of their town to "Wabasha" in honor of the chief.
URL of the statue: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.