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Treaties Events in Common The Treaty of Traverse de Sioux was signed by the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands in July of 1851. The Treaty of Mendota was signed by the Wahpekute and Mdewakanton in August of 1851. In these treaties, the bands "sold" vast portions of land in what was to become Minnesota. The Dakota thought they agreed that the government would pay for the land with money, food and supplies over time. But the Dakota were tricked into signing another document, called the Trader's Paper. This document said that the money the Dakota would receive from the government would actually go to pay their debts to the traders who had "loaned" them supplies. In the end, very little money went to the Dakota. (But Alexander Faribault received $13,500.) The creation and consequences of the treaties were the result of the racist and prejudicial attitudes of some white settlers and leaders toward the Dakota and other Indian tribes. The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and Minnesota State University, Mankato provide more on-line information and teaching resources for discussing Minnesota land treaties. The texts of the Treaty of Traverse de Sioux and the treaty at Mendota, both witnessed by Alexander Faribault, can be found online at the Oklahoma State University Edmon Low Library.
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