330-mile ride in South Dakota and Minnesota remembers hangings of Dakota Indians in 1862 [View all]

[Algernon Moncrieff]

"Happy holidays," said a rider smiling, greeting a number of people on foot who escorted them to a nearby pasture.

Brown said the riders and their entourage, who commemorate the hanging of 38 Dakota Indians on Dec. 26, 1862 in Mankato, have visited his farm every Christmas Day for the past few years, no matter how cold or snowy the weather is.

Thanks to the volunteer efforts of Kristi Debban, Julie Haas, LuAnn Marti and Gloria Desantiago, the riders and those in their support vehicles were given bags of candy, sandwiches and hot cocoa while their horses were given water. A number of businesses donated to the cause.

After learning about this year's ride recently, Debban led the support group by organizing food preparation efforts early Thursday at First United Methodist Church in New Ulm.

"I've always wanted to be a part of this. Now it's finally happening. Once I started talking to people about it, it came together. I'm so glad we did this," Debban told The Journal of New Ulm (http://bit.ly/1zmMGEh ). She added that she was driven by her Native American ancestry to become involved with the two-week, 330-mile ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota, to Mankato, Minnesota.

http://www.startribune.com/local/286872071.html