Family and Friends of Dakota Uprising Victims became involved with honoring our ancestors by dedicating a memorial for the Birch Coulie victims at the Renville County Historical Society on August 18, 2012. There were 175 people who attended that gathering.
Family and Friends of Dakota Uprising Victims is a settler advocate group that was formed in December, 2011, by descendants whose ancestors settled in the Birch Coulie settlement in Renville County. We now represent nearly 100 members from across Minnesota and beyond, and our followers include descendants of settlers from many of the counties impacted by the Dakota uprising.
Our companion Facebook page is visited by over 450 people per week, and over 160 people have stated they “liked” its content. Our website at www.dakotavictims1862.com now includes more than 50 descendant stories, many having never been seen before, and more are submitted weekly.
Jan Klein and Joyce Kloncz, members of the Family and Friends of Dakota Victims Committee, have published a 75-page spiral-bound booklet which contains information on the causes of the Dakota Uprising, a map and names of Beaver Creek and Birch Coulie settlers, and 32 heart-rending stories about Renville County uprising victims. Renville County Pioneers and Renville Rangers are also covered in the booklet, along with today’s descendants’ relationships in Birch Coulie and Beaver Falls Township, plus the names of donors supporting the Family and Friends Committee.
You can access the booklet by clicking on this PDF document: Dakota Commemoration Booklet .pdf
The booklet is also available at:
Renville County Historical Society: http://www.co.renville.mn.us
Brown County Historical Society: http://browncountyhistorymn.org
Minnesota Historical Society: http://www.mnhs.or