Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride

02/03/2026

Partnership development work requires shared understanding of ceremony. The Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride is a 16-day prayer ceremony that is working to help our local partners learn how to be a good relative in this work. We look forward to the continued conversation with the City of Mankato. 

Members and advocates of The Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride meets with the city of Mankato. The goal was to continue to develop the partnership between the Healing Ride and the city.

12/28/2025

Dakota riders completed a journey of hundreds of miles to honor the 38 Dakota men executed in 1862 — the largest mass ex*****on in U.S. history. The annual rides ending in Mankato serve as a poignant act of remembrance and carry hope for future generations.

12/24/2025

Update on the Dakota Exile Riders: Approximate arrival to Land of Memories is 3 pm. Parking volunteers should arrive at 2 pm.

12/23/2025

We appreciate the support along the routes to Sleepy Eye and New Ulm. For the safety of riders and horses, please maintain a respectful distance.

12/21/2025

Urgent Request for Support:
The Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride horse trailer is in need of some new rims.
We are asking our community to support to help us find and quickly locate 3 16” rims with 8-holes for the lug nuts for our livestock trailer. We have arrived safely at Jeffers Petroglyphs and have a day of rest today and tomorrow.

Please reach out to our page if you are close by and can help. Wopida tanka (heartfelt thank you!)

12/21/2025

Today the riders made their way from Slayton, MN to Westbrook, MN. We are so grateful for the hospitality that our local communities are providing to the riders this year. Wopida tanka (heartfelt thank you)! ❤️

12/19/2025

Staff Carrier, Wilfred Keeble sharing his reflections with the film crew for a new PBS documentary that is sharing the story of the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride. The room was filled with the stories from the riders and supporters who have been a part of this truth, healing and reconciliation work for many years.

Elders, young riders and supporters enjoyed a delicious meal together. We all agree - this is the best fry bread you can find in Turtle Island - right here at the Little Feather Indian Center in Pipestone, MN!

Thank you Alice Erickson and the Pipestone community for the wonderful and warm welcome back into this sacred place in Mni Sota Makoce!

❤️🌱🙏🏽✨🐴

12/16/2025

The Mahkato Welcoming Committee encourages the public to join any of the listed gatherings with an open heart and mind for truth, healing, and reconciliation with the Dakota People.

There are 2 horse rides, and one run that will happen in the days and weeks leading up to December 26th, which is the anniversary of the mass ex*****on of 38 Dakota Warriors after the US-Dakota War.

From the north, beginning at what is known as Fort Snelling, a place the Dakota people call Bdote, where two rivers meet, runners begin their journey late on December 25th, running relay style a total of 71 miles to Mahkato. The Dakota 38 Memorial Run is sponsored by the Mdewakanton Association. Fort Snelling served as a concentration camp during the winter of 1862 for many of the Dakota people after the war and is where many of the women and children were forced to go to await the river boats the following spring.

From the West, starting at Fort Thompson (Crow Creek Reservation) on December 10th, and traveling 330 miles, are the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Riders. This prayer ride is led by staff carrier and Dakota Elder Wilfred Keeble. They retrace the path that their ancestors were forced to take out of Minnesota after the war. Crow Creek was one of the places that the river boats travelled to from Fort Snelling. This prayer ride is focused on building the next generation of riders, bringing people back into the culture, and is heavily focused on the youth.

From the Southwest, starting in Santee, Nebraska on December 14th, and traveling 289 miles are the Dakota Exile Riders. This ride is led by Elder Jim Hallum and commemorates the Dakota Exile that happened after the 1862 war. From Fort Snelling, Dakota people were split up and scattered across many reservations from Canada, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana and Nebraska to name a few. To this day Dakota people are still legally exiled from the state of Minnesota.

The convergence of multiple groups of Dakota people honors the memory of the 38 Dakota Warriors who were executed under orders from President Abraham Lincoln and under the pressure of Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey in 1862. These riders and runners remind our communities of the continued need for meaningful efforts of truth, healing, and reconciliation. Dakota People, settlers, and the greater community can all honor the past, recognize the present, and work towards a better future for all. The Mahkato Welcoming Committee encourages everyone to join in the following free and open public opportunities.

Volunteer in Mahkato here: https://signup.com/go/ZGcZyiD

Donate to the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride here: https://gofund.me/e75e44659

Donate to the Dakota Exile Riders here: https://gofund.me/d240d2386