>> ERIC: NEXT WEEK THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS SET TO RELEASE A NEW BOOK THAT LOOKS CLOSELY AT A MANKATO SECRET SOCIETY FORMED AT THE END OF THE U.S. DAKOTA WAR.

THIS SOCIETY AIMED TO PUSH ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OUT OF MINNESOTA, INCLUDING THE HO-CHUNK PEOPLE ON A RESERVATION JUST A FEW MILES SOUTH OF MANKATO.

CATHY COATS IS A METADATA SPECIALIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA LIBRARIES AND AUTHOR OF "TO BANISH FOREVER."

WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

THESE WERE THE NIGHTS OF THE FOREST.

>> YES.

>> Eric: THIS WAS PRETTY PROMINENT PEOPLE IN THE MANKATO COMMUNITY.

>> YES, THESE WERE THE TOWN FATHERS, THEY WERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, THEY WERE LAND SURVEYORS, THEY WERE LAWYERS, ALL THE MOST PROMINENT PEOPLE IN TOWN.

>> Cathy: HOW DID YOU FIND THE STORY?

I UNDERSTAND IT WAS IN A TIME CAPSULE OR A DOCUMENT THAT YOU USED TO KIND OF LAUNCH OFF ON?

WAS IT A TIME CAPSULE?

>> YES.

THE RITUAL DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS -- IT CONTAINED THEIR OATH AND THE CEREMONY THAT THEY USED AT ALL OF THEIR MEETINGS WAS PUT IN A TIME CAPSULE IN 1869 AT MANKATO STATE UNIVERSITY.

AND IT WAS PUT ONLINE IN 2004, AND THAT'S HOW I FOUND IT.

AND IT HAS THEIR OATH OF OFFICE AND ALL THE CEREMONY THAT THEY USED AT ALL OF THEIR MEETINGS.

>> Eric: AND THE IDEA HERE WAS, THEY COVETED, WAS IT 300,000 ACRES SOUTH OF MANKATO?

>> YES.

>> Eric: AND THAT WAS PRIME FARMLAND OR PRIME LAND FOR SOMETHING OR OTHER.

>> IT WAS PRIME FARMLAND.

IT WAS THE BEST FARMLAND IN THE STATE AND THEY WANTED IT BEFORE THE HO-CHUNK EVEN ARRIVED THERE.

THEY SENT PETITIONS TO THE STATE TO ASK THEM TO NOT BRING THE HO-CHUNK IN THE COUNTY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND THEY WERE TRYING TO HAVE THEM REMOVED THE ENTIRE TIME THEY WERE IN BLUE EARTH COUNTY.

>> Eric: AND THEY PRESSURED THE FEDS, I GUESS, TO FOLLOW THROUGH?

>> YES.

AND, SO, THEN WHEN THE DAKOTA WAR HAPPENED, THE KNIGHTS OF THE FOREST FORMED AND THEY STARTED SENDING MORE PETITIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THEY EVEN SENT ARMED MEN OUT TO THE RESERVATION TO LIE IN WAIT SO THAT THEY COULD SHOOT ANYBODY WHO LEFT THE RESERVATION.

>> Cathy: AS A HISTORIAN, AND YOU'RE SEEING THIS ONLINE, YOU START TO DO THE RESEARCH, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

>> WELL, IT WAS SORT OF SHOCKING THAT THIS HAPPENED IN MINNESOTA.

A LOT OF MINNESOTANS LIKE TO THINK WE WERE ON THE GOOD SIDE DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPLICATED THINGS HAPPENING HERE DURING THE USDAC WAR.

U.S. DAKOTA WAR, IT WAS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR.

THE KNIGHTS OF THE FOREST WERE FORMED BEFORE THE KU KLUX KLAN WERE EVEN EXISTING.

SO, IT WAS A BIT SURPRISING TO SEE THIS HISTORY.

>> Eric: AND THE HO-CHUNK WERE NOT A PARTY TO THE U.S. DAKOTA WAR, RIGHT?

>> NO, THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED AT ALL, WHICH IS WHY I ARGUE THAT THIS IS ETHNIC CLEANSING IN MINNESOTA.

THEY TARGETED THE HO-CHUNK PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T INVOLVED IN THE WAR AT ALL AND A LOT OF MINNESOTANS TRIED TO JUSTIFY WHAT THEY DID TO THE DAKOTA AFTER THE WAR BECAUSE OF THE WAR AND THAT JUST DOESN'T HOLD WATER WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HO-CHUNK.

>> Cathy: DID YOU HAVE TO TREAD LIGHTLY AS A WHITE PERSON WHEN WRITING THIS HISTORY?

>> SURE.

>> Cathy: HOW DID YOU DO THAT?

>> 8 -- WELL, I DEFINITELY REACHED OUT TO HO-CHUNK PEOPLE, AND I LEANED A LOT ON MY HO-CHUNK ADVISORS, I RELIED ON AMY LONE TREE IS A HO-CHUNK HISTORIAN, SHE'S PUBLISHED LOTS OF WORKS, SHE REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEIR HISTORY, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM NOW.

AND ONE THING I'VE HEARD FROM MANY HO-CHUNK PEOPLE IS THAT THIS STORY IS VERY MPORTANT TO THEM AND JUST HAVING RECOGNITION IN MINNESOTA HISTORY.

>> Cathy: AND HOW DID IT ADD TO THE HO-CHUNK RECORD OF HISTORY?

JUST AS A TRIBAL NATION.

>> SO, THE TRIBAL NATION, THEY DON'T -- MOST OF THEM HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE FOREST.

SO, AMY LONE TREE WAS REALLY THE ONLY ONE WHO ROTE ABOUT THE REMOVALS AND THE EFFECT THAT IT HAD AND HOW MANY LIVES WERE LOST DUE TO THAT.

AND, SO, THIS REALLY DOES ADD TO THE ALL-AROUND HISTORY.

>> Eric: WEDNESDAY COMING UP, ALL MY RELATIONS IN MINNEAPOLIS, YOU'LL BE DOING A READING AND YOU'LL HAVE SOME FRIENDS WITH YOU.

>> YES, HO-CHUNK HISTORIAN AMY LONE TREE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH ME.

AND MY OTHER HO-CHUNK ADVISOR, ROBERT PILE, HE IS THE HOST OF NATIVE ROOTS RADIO, AND HE'S ALSO A HO-CHUNK CITIZEN, AND HE WILL ALSO BE SPEAKING AND WE'LL DO A BOOK IGNING.

>> Eric: >> Cathy: WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

>> Eric: AVAILABLE IN ALL