The History and Culture of the Spirit Lake Dakota
Frank Jetty Junior the son of Francois Jetty (1837 – 1926) and Anna Hunka (Full Blood Dakota, Tizaptanna), Sisseton) was born on June 2, 1858, and died on September 23, 1951, at St. Michael, North Dakota. The Grey Nuns wrote down Frank Jetty’s life story. The three of them, Anna, Josephine, an older sister, and Frank survived many battles which are found in every history book detailing the Dakota escape from Minnesota. This is the only first-hand account from the Dakota point of view that I know of. No one can tell it better than Frank himself. What follows is the history as transcribed by the Grey Nuns of St. Michael.
Frank Jetty’s Life – related by himself to the Grey Nuns at St. Michael Mission, St. Michael, N.Dak.
At time of the massacre I was 4 or 5 years old (at Yellow Medicine, Minn.). My father at that time was 26 or 27 years old. When the train arrived to this town [?] a man Red Dog, uncle to my mother, said the Indians were coming to kill the whites. My father being a Canadian must flee. My father alone fled. Reaching a swamp, he hid in the brushes with water up to his neck. The Indians spied and tried to coax him out, but my father knew that this title of relationship (he had married a squaw) was the only means to fool him. During the night while the Indians were chasing the whites who were fleeing, my father took the road to Fort Snelling to notify the soldiers who knew nothing of what was going on. My father arrived at the fort at sunrise after walking 60 miles. On his way, my father passed by now and then over a dead body but could not stop for he had to reach the fort as soon as possible. Arriving at the fort, the sentinel recognized him. Seeing him so poorly clad, only in trousers, hatless, shoeless with swollen and bleeding feet asked, “What’s up!”. My father answered, “Over there, the whites are bring killed”.
Within two hours, the Major assembled his soldiers, some went on foot, some on horses and others in wagons. It took all day to reach the battle. Fighting was still going on when the soldiers arrived.
My father was kept at the fort where he was given a room, dressed and nursed for his feet were very bruised.
When the Indian warriors saw the soldiers arrive, they fled in this direction (Devils Lake). My mother too, fled here with my sister Josephine and myself, we were halfbreeds of the band. For fear of being killed, the peaceful Indians fled along with the rest. This happened in 1862. That year my mother spent the winter on the lake shore (Devils Lake). My mother showed me the place where she stayed. It is right here behind your heating building. (St. Michael, N. Dak.) There were thick woods along the shore [{Mission Bay – Kahmin Oyanke] where my mother went fishing with her cousin, White Dog.
To be continued.
