Volume 16 Issue 4

River Rendezvous Thursday September 19, 4:00 to 8:30 p.m.

One of the finest living-history events in the Midwest returns to Pond

Dakota Mission Park in Bloomington! More than 50 costumed re-enactors

will demonstrate 19th century frontier life, including American Indian dance

performances, early pioneer life and trades, plants and animals, the fur trade,

wilderness skills, and fun and games through authentic hands-on experiences.

Tours of the restored 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House will be given

throughout the evening.

Admission is $6, children under 4 are free.

Pond Dakota Mission Park is located at 401 East 104th Street.

Kettle corn will be available for purchase and there is plenty of free parking.

For more info visit www.BloomingtonMN.gov or call Mark Morrison at

952-563-8693.

Bloomington,

Minnesota

October 2019

THE POND DAKOTA QUARTERLY

A publication of Bloomington Parks and Recreation

Inside this issue:

River Rendezvous 1

Calendar of Events 2-3

Map to Pond Dakota Mission Park

3

The Pond Dakota Heritage Society

3

Free Dakota

Language Classes 4

.NOVEMBER

Beading with Carol Charging Thunder Drop-In Program Sunday, November 3, 2–4 pm Make your own bead project to take home with Lakota artist and St. Paul resident Carol Charging Thunder. Carol has been beading for over 50 years. Some of her beadwork has been exhibited at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth. All supplies will be provided. House tour at 1:30 p.m.

Open House Sunday, November 10, 1:30-4 pm 181 years ago, Samuel Pond wedded Cordelia Eg-gleston at the mission house at Lake Harriet on No-vember 18th. While touring the Pond House, hear the details of this well-documented event, the first marriage of white people in civilized form within the present limits of Minneapolis.

The Long Legacy of the Leavenworth Expedi-tion (1819-1820) Sunday, November 17, 2 pm Minnesota historian and author Gary Brueggemann will give a special pictorial presentation about the Leavenworth Expedition which included extraordi-nary hardships and the tragic deaths of dozens of soldiers. It was the largest expedition to enter the "land of the Dacotah" and launched the develop-ment of Fort Snelling. Gary is a retired college his-tory professor and author.

Open House Sunday, November 24, 1:30-4 pm During tours of the Pond House, hear about Chief Cloudman’s hunting party in the fall of 1835, which included Samuel Pond. Samuel’s account includes fascinating and hilarious stories you won’t want to miss!

Page 2

The Pond Dakota Quarterly

OCTOBER Write with a Quill Pen Drop-In Program Sunday, October 6, 2–4 pm For almost 1500 years people wrote with a quill pen, as did Gideon Pond. See copies of Rev Pond’s letters from 1862-1864 and try your hand at writing with a quill pen dipped in ink. Take home your hand-written missive! House tour at 1:30 pm. Open House Sunday, October 13, 1:30–4 pm During house tours today, hear the story of Baptist minister Rev. Palmer, who paid a visit to Gideon Pond in the fall of 1871 to announce a Baptist meet-ing that evening. Discover Gideon’s lack of ecumen-icalism! The War of 1812 in the Upper Mississippi River Valley Sunday, October 20, 2 pm Author Mary Elise Antoine will speak about the War of 1812 with a focus on Dakota relations with the British, marital connections with residents of Prairie du Chien, and Dakota participation in the conflict beginning in 1811 until the end of British presence in the valley in 1815. Mary is President of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society and former curator at the Villa Louis, a Wisconsin Historic Site. She is the au-thor of two books and many articles about Wisconsin history. Her latest book is The War of 1812 in Wis-consin: The Battle for Prairie du Chien. Open House Sunday, October 27, 1:30-4 pm Join Agnes Hopkins Pond (portrayed by Sheila Smith) for a tour of the historic Pond House and en-joy cookies & conversation in the parlor. If you have knitting, crocheting, darning, or other small projects, bring them along! All ages are welcome.

Events at Pond Dakota Mission Park

The Pond House is open year round on Sundays from 1:30 – 4 p.m. Admission to programs and tours is free for Pond Dakota Heritage Society members and youth through high school. Suggested donation of $2 for non-member adults.

Page 3

Volume 16, Issue 4

Pond Dakota Mission Park

401 East 104th Street

Bloomington, MN 55420

Pond Dakota

Mission Park

Interpretive signs describing the history of the Dakota in the Minnesota River Valley, and Gideon and Samuel Pond, missionaries who arrived in 1834, are located along the walking trails in the park. The 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is open daily until 10 pm.

For more information about Pond Dakota Mission Park or private tours of the Gideon and Agnes Pond House, contact Mark Morrison, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, 952-563-8693, or mmorrison@BloomingtonMN.gov. More about the Pond House at www.BloomingtonMN.gov. Follow us on facebook at www.facebook. com/GideonAgnesPondHouse

The Pond Dakota Heritage Society hosts speakers at the Pond House. The Society’s mission is to preserve the rich history of the Dakota and their relationship with early Minnesota settlers and Christian Missionaries, and to explore contrasting cultural and Individual $20, Household $30, Sustaining $100-$499, Benefactor $500 or more. Renew or join today! Go to www.ponddakota.org. or learn more at facebook.com/PondDakota. Email ponddakota@

or send mail to PDHS, P.O. Box 20511, Bloomington, MN 55420.

DECEMBER

Open House Sunday, December 1, 1:30–4 pm

On November 27, 1850, Gideon traveled to St. Paul to pick up the first edition of The Dakota Friend, the bilingual newspaper that he published for two years in English and Dakota. During tours of the historic Pond House today, see an original copy of the news-paper, find out why it was published and why it was discontinued.

Open House Sunday, December 8, , 1:30–4 pm In December 1847 Rev. Samuel Pond, his wife and three very young children had just moved to their new mission house in Shakopee. Hear a first-hand account of their extremely unusual living situation while touring the Gideon Pond House today!

Christmas at the Pond House Drop-in Program Sunday, December 15, 2-4 pm Join us as we gather ‘round the pump organ to sing Christmas carols and hear Rev. Gideon Pond, por-trayed by a costumed re-enactor, read excerpts from his 1862 Christmas sermon. Enjoy hot tea, cocoa, and Christmas treats and make paper star ornaments to take home. House tour at 1:30 pm. Open House Sunday, December 22, 1:30–4pm In the Dakota tradition of storytelling in winter, hear a reading in the Dakota language of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle during your tour of the historic Pond House. Open House Sunday, December 29, 1:30–4 pm Gideon and Sarah’s third daughter, Mary Margaret Poage Pond, was born in the Pond brothers’ cabin in Bloomington in December 1845. See the Pond fami-ly’s crib, high chair and other baby items during house tours today.

City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd. Bloomington, MN 55431

Return Service Requested

Introduction to the Dakota Language

Free 12 Week Course

Saturdays · September 28 - December 21

10 am – 12 pm

Minneapolis American Indian Center

1530 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN

A progressive 12-week course for students who have little to no understanding of Dakota language, it will focus on pronunciation, a writing system and basic blocks of simple con-versation. Taught by Chantemaza, Neil Mckay (Spirit Lake Dakota) and Monica Mckay

This class requires registration, but there is no cost to attend.

Email dsutherland@maicnet.org or call 612-879-1743 to register.