New Ulm hosts Reconciliation Riders

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The various Dakota Rides are nearing their final destination, and in just a few short days they’ll all gather in downtown Mankato.

But there’s still a few stops left before that.

For the next two nights, the Dakota Reconciliation Riders will be staying at the New Ulm Community Center, and a team of volunteers spent Tuesday setting up to host them.

Among those volunteers is Jun Howe, who prepared a five-course meal of indigenous dishes made from indigenous ingredients.

This is his second year cooking for the visiting riders, and he makes a point to contribute in any way he can.

“I put seventy, maybe eighty hours worth of work into this dinner that I’m just not billing anyone for because that doesn’t feel right to me,” said Howe. “If I’m not doing it someone else is going to do it and they might expect money and that’s reasonable but I don’t want that, I just want to be able to help and provide for my community and provide for the community at large.”

The riders will arrive in New Ulm a bit after noon on Wednesday, but this time there’s something extra planned.

The riders are inviting anyone else with horses to meet them on top of the 5th Street hill and ride with them into town, gathering together at an infamous battle location from all those years ago.

“How powerful is that? To come down that 5th Street hill where that attack happened that was so brutal and killed so many and to see them riding together in peace and harmony and healing and reconciliation,” said Colleen Hokenson, the volunteer coordinator in New Ulm.

Click here to download the KEYC News Now app or our KEYC First Alert weather app.