The Dakota 38 +2 Memorial Ride was started in 2008 by Jim Miller, a Lakota spiritual leader, to honor the Dakota lives lost in the Dakota War of 1862, 162 years ago.
The ride commemorated 38 plus two men executed later in the war, also known as the Sioux Uprising. The battle was an armed conflict between the US and several bands of the Eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862 along the Minnesota River and ended with a mass execution of 38 men on December 26, 1862 in Mankato. Miller ended the ride after 2022 and passed away in 2023.
The community surrounding the ride did not want to see it end completely, so they began the journey to create something new. It is now called the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride.
The ride begins December 10 and goes on until December 26. The ride will begin in Lower Brule, South Dakota and end in Mankato at Reconciliation Park.
The ride of remembrance, healing and reconciliation will make an overnight stop in Wessington Springs on December 11 again this year, with local volunteers hosting a meal for the riders and their support teams before taking refuge in the ag building for the evening.
Volunteers are needed to help provide soup and sandwiches, bars and ice cream/root beer for supper, and a breakfast to be determined. Help serving will also be appreciated. For more information, contact Kathy Voorhees at 605.539.1481