Wapasha I

This article is about the first chief named Wapasha. For other chiefs with that name, see Wapasha (disambiguation).

Wapasha (1718–1806) was the name of a Mdewakanton Sioux chief.

Wapasha was born in present-day Minnesota in 1718. During his youth he befriended the agents of King Louis XV of France and was a long time friend to the French against the British. Wapasha and his followers were allies of the French, and aided them in their conflicts with the British. After the British defeated the French, they were both suspicious and fearful of the their Sioux allies. As a result, there were no English trappers and traders among the Sioux. They had become more accustomed to hunting with rifles than bows and arrows. Fur trading with French trappers brought provisions and ammunition and the Dakota found it difficult to survive without this commerce.^{[citation needed]}

Several incidents that took place during the French and Indian War made English trappers apprehensive about returning to the Mississippi River valley. One such incident took place in 1761. A Dakota named Ixkatapay had shot an English trader called Pagonta by the Sioux.^{[citation needed]} The two had quarreled earlier, and Pagonta was reportedly killed while sitting in his cabin smoking. Ixkatapay was turned over to the British for the killing. Wapasha I led the party, composed of 100 men, to the English headquarters in Quebec.

By the time Wapasha had reached Green Bay, Wisconsin, there were only six of the original 100 left, Wapasha and five warriors. The others had drifted off in small groups. One of these deserting bands had taken Ixkatapay with them and returned to their homelands.

Wapasha and the remaining five continued to Quebec and offered themselves as surrogates for Ixkatapay in the English court.^{[citation needed]} Because Wapasha said he would have himself executed for Ixkatapay, the British decided to release both Wapasha and the other warriors out of admiration.^{[citation needed]} The Governor of Fort Beauharnois awarded the Dakota chief a military medal for his noble act, the chief and the Governor became the best of friends.^{[citation needed]} Wapasha then became a war chief and his forces fought in the American revolutionary war against the British allied Ojibwe Indian Army. Wapasha himself was greeted by the salute of a cannon. Wapasha died of throat cancer just after the dawn of the 19th century. He was succeeded by his son, Wapasha II.^{[citation needed]} A poem was written in his honor by Arent DePeyster, the British commander of Fort Michilimackinac:

"Hail to the chief! who his buffalo's back straddles, When in his own country far ,far from this fort; whose brave young canoe men here hold up there paddles in hopes that the whizzing balls may give them sport. Hail! to the great Wapasha He comes, beat drums, the Sioux chief comes. They now strain there nerves till the canoe runs bounding As swift as the Solen goose skims o'er the wave While on the lake's boarder a guard is surrounding A space where to land the Sioux so brave. Hail! to great Wapasha! Soldiers!your triggers draw! Guard! wave the colors and beat the drum Hail! to great Wapasha Raise the banner, the King's friend has come"

References

• [1]
• South Dakota Historical Collections, Volume 2