Spiritually Connected

When listening to the pod cast, "Little War on the Prairie", it was very shocking to me how little information people know about the Dakota people in Mankato. It almost seems like the past is kept very secretive and hardly ever talked about. It also seems like the younger generations of tribes really do not know the past and significance of the town. I really enjoyed and appreciated hearing Gwen speak during the podcast. She is a part of the Dakota tribe and hearing what she had to say about Mankato and her connection to the town you get a better understanding of what her people and her ancestors went through. One part of the of the podcast that really stood out to me is when she took the job at MSU and her father and uncle said "We will see how long you last there" without elaborating on there response. She then figures out her connection to the town when her friend, Kimberly, asked her to go to a ceremony in the Mankato town square with her. They knew nothing of what the ceremony was about and got there late but when the ceremony was over Gwen says that she broke down, not knowing what  was wrong. She then goes on to say the she later called her uncle and his words were "Well my girl, you are connected to that place. You are physically and spiritually connected to that place." This was a very surprising and unsettling comment for me just because of the awful hanging that took place of her people in that town square. It is a sad realization to think that the town has such an awful past and history that is buried and not really spoken about.