Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862

Colin Mustful

Oct 2023 · History Through Fiction

About this ebook

Winner — 34th Annual Midwest Book Award for Literary, Contemporary & Historical Fiction

Two cultures, two young men, and a collision course that changes history.

In 1859, Samuel Copeland leaves Vermont as a teenager, seeking a new life on the Minnesota frontier. But the promise of freedom and prosperity comes at a steep price. When his father is killed in a violent encounter, Samuel joins the Union army, hoping for safety—but finds danger at every turn.

WaabiskiMakwa was still a boy when his father died at Sandy Lake, a victim of U.S. government negligence. As his way of life collapses, WaabiskiMakwa leaves home to grieve, to seek a future that might include his lost love, Agnes, and to navigate a world that seems determined to erase his people.

Neither young man can see the collision course ahead—shaped by broken treaties, war, and the relentless march of history. When conflict erupts in Minnesota, their paths intersect in unexpected ways, amid the chaos of the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862.

As Dakota spokesman Little Crow and Ojibwe leader Bagone-giizhig form a fragile alliance to reclaim Native lands, early victories at Fort Ridgely and New Ulm push toward Fort Snelling, a stronghold long thought unassailable.

Reclaiming Mni Sota is a deeply human historical novel that examines courage, loss, and the consequences of history. What if the defeated had prevailed? What truths might emerge about the past—and the world we inhabit today?

Ratings and reviews

My Great Grandparents settled in Minnesota in the 1880's and this part of Minnesota's history was something I never heard of. I felt truly enriched with the knowledge of ALL the peoples history of Minnesota as shown I'm this book.

This book really did give me a new perspective in a history that I thought I knew.

good presentation of the experiences and different perspectives.

About the author

Colin Mustful is an independent historian, author, and publisher. His work, which includes five historical novels, focuses on the tumultuous and complicated periods of settler-colonialism and Native displacement in American history. He has a Master of Arts degree in history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. He is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press that publishes compelling historical novels that are based on real events and people. As a traditional publisher, he works with authors who want to share important historical stories with the world. Mustful is an avid runner and soccer player who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He believes that learning history is vital to understanding our world today and finding just, long-lasting solutions for the future.