Ishtakhaba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ishtakhaba
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| Ištáȟba | |
As painted in 1824 by Charles Bird King
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| Sisseton Dakota leader | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1780 Near Swan Lake, Nicollet County, Minnesota |
| Died | 1859 Roberts County, South Dakota |
| Resting place | Sleepy Eye, Minnesota |
| Relations | Nephew, Sleepy Eye |
| Children | One son, seven daughters |
| Nicknames | Chief Sleepy Eyes, Drooping Eyelids |
Ishtakhaba (Dakota: Ištáȟba), also known as Chief Sleepy Eyes, was an important Native American leader. He was a chief of the Sisseton Dakota tribe. He became a chief around 1824 and led his people until he passed away in 1860. His group lived and hunted in parts of what is now Minnesota and South Dakota. Later, they had to move to a reservation near the Minnesota River.
Chief Sleepy Eyes worked hard to keep peace with the white settlers in and around Minnesota. He signed at least four agreements, called treaties, with the United States government. One of these was the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. He even met with President James Monroe in Washington, D.C. in 1824. Chief Sleepy Eyes was known for being friends with explorers, traders, missionaries, and government officials. However, his nephew, who also had the name Sleepy Eyes, was involved in the 1862 Sioux Uprising.
His Lasting Legacy
Chief Sleepy Eyes passed away in Roberts County, South Dakota. Many years later, his remains were moved to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. They were buried under a special monument built by the people there. This monument is near the railway station. It has a picture of the chief and says: "Ish-tak-ha-ba, Sleepy Eye, Always a Friend of the Whites. Died 1860."
In 1852, Chief Sleepy Eyes helped choose the location for what is now the city of Mankato, Minnesota. He told traders not to build their posts in low areas near the Minnesota River because it would flood. Instead, he suggested a higher area, which is now Mankato's Front Street.
There is also a historical marker near the place that was his main village from 1857 to 1859. This spot is at Sleepy Eye Lake, which was once called "Pretty Water By The Big Trees" (Minnewashte Chanhatonka).
In 2011, his ceremonial pipe was given back to the city of Sleepy Eye by his "fourth great-granddaughter."
