Abbie Gardner Sharp’s story: Abbie’s rescuers
Abbie Gardner was held captive by Inkpaduta’s band after about four months in captivity. Three Native Americans paid for her and took her back to Minnesota. They were paid $1,000 for her rescue.
Mazaintemani
Mazaintemani, or Man Who Shoots Metal as He Walks, was noted by Abbie Gardner Sharp to be John Other Day. However, records show John Other Day was actually another one of her rescuers, named Hotonhowashta. Mazaintemani, or Mazakutemani, was actually called Little Paul.
He was educated at a mission school on the Yellow Medicine Reservation and learned to read and write the Dakota language. During the U.S.-Dakota War between Sioux Indians and settlers in New Ulm, MN, in 1862, he helped organize a peace party and served as a spokesman for Dakota who opposed the war.
opens IMAGE file Dakota leaders in Washington, D.C., including Little Paul (fourth from left) and John Other Day (fifth from left)
Hotonhowashta
Hotonhowashta, or Beautiful Voice, known as John Other Day and listed in other records as Anpetu-Topeka, was a full-blooded Sioux Indian who led the expedition to rescue Abbie Gardner from Inkpaduta’s band following the Spirit Lake Massacre. Following the rescue, he served as a Dakota leader in Washington, D.C., summoned to discuss a treaty after Minnesota became a state. There, Other Day met a Caucasian woman and married her.
During the U.S.-Dakota War, Other Day saved the lives of 62 people by warning settlers of the impending Sioux attack. He was rewarded with $2,500 by the U.S. government but fellow tribesmen burned his home and farmland. He died in the mid-1860s.
Chetanmaza
Chetanmaza, or Iron Hawk, also came from the Yellow Medicine reservation. He later attended the Spirit Lake Massacre monument dedication ceremony in July 1895 in Arnolds Park.
Read other installments in this series:
“Traveling to Spirit Lake”
“Who was Inkpaduta?”
“The Spirit Lake Massacre”
“Taken captive”
“Life continues on”
Wow someone really needs to fact check before writing on someone that played a huge part for the descendants of those that my great great grandpa John Other Day.
He was supposed to be paid $10,000 but the government screwed him over by paying him $2,500. He didn’t do it for money though, he saved all these ppl because it was wrong to kill those settlers.
I’m sure he chose to forgive for the treatment of so many by other settlers. He went against the leaders by helping those to reach safety of their own ppl. In the end that money was a loss for the harsh treatment of our own ppl. So in the end he paid dearly. As for the pic of him you’re way off!!! And not his name listed neither. Anpetu-Topeka aka John Other Day. How not great that our ancestors were forced to change their given names.
We do the best to check our facts, and the picture is the one provided by the State Historical Society of Iowa. If you have other resources, please let us know. These were brave men and very generous to help settlers in so many ways.