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At the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), we hold collections that document Presbyterian mission work around the world. Among the most complex—and often painful—are records of Presbyterian mission work with Indigenous peoples here in the United States. 

Included in these holdings is Record Group (RG) 375, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA) Dakota Mission Collection. This small collection consists of a photograph album, loose photographic prints, and printed materials that document Presbyterian mission work among the Dakota and Lakota peoples (historically called “Sioux” by settler colonists).  

These materials preserve stories of faith and resilience. They also reflect a tragic history of cultural assimilation, forced displacement, and violence. As stewards of this history, the Reparative Description Committee at PHS turned our attention to the Dakota Mission Collection as part of our ongoing work of reparative description. 

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As described in our first blog post on the topic, reparative description is the practice of critically examining and ultimately adjusting the way we as an institution describe or characterize marginalized groups, paying particular attention to instances where our description inflicts harm, spreads false narratives, or minimizes past and ongoing injustices.  

Our work started with us surveying the collection and our internal documentation regarding it. We quickly learned that previous PHS staff had brought together materials from various places to form an artificial collection around the topic of the PCUSA Dakota Mission. 

We learned that these materials were not original records created by a Presbyterian office or agency, nor papers created by a specific individual. In the archival profession knowing who created something and why they created it helps us to better understand the entire story or context of a collection or an item. Unfortunately, our documentation regarding the Dakota Mission Collection’s largest item, the photograph album, was scanty and lacked information about who originally created/compiled the album. Additionally, since the collection lacked robust primary sources, we knew that we would have to consult other collections and resources to better understand, contextualize, and describe the history and operations of the Dakota Mission. 

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Mission work to the Dakota people began in 1835, when Reverend Thomas S. Williamson and his colleagues established mission stations at Fort Snelling and Lac qui Parle. Over the next century, missionaries founded churches, schools, and publications like the monthly newspaper, Iapi Oaye (“The Word Carrier”). 

But these efforts were inseparable from U.S. policies of cultural assimilation and violence. The United States–Dakota War of 1862 brought mass imprisonment, executions, and forced relocation. Boarding schools like the Santee Normal Training School and Good Will Mission also educated Dakota youth but often at the expense of their language and culture. Photographs, missionary reports, and newspapers in our collections capture this complicated story. 

As archivists, we recognize that the collection guide used to describe these materials are as much a part of the story as the materials themselves. It was crucial then to review this guide through the lens of reparative description to ensure that we were telling the most honest and just story about this group of records.  

Our reparative description workflow was a structured process that included the following steps: 

1. Rewrote the original collection guide to include information about the specific Dakota and Lakota groups that the missionaries encountered, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, government prisons, and Native American boarding/vocational schools.
2. Created an index of transcribed captions and handwritten image descriptions for the photograph album, with a content warning for offensive or outdated language.
3. Restricted digital access to images identified as potentially culturally sensitive in the photograph album.
4. Added the previously omitted names of women missionaries who served the Dakota Mission to the collection guide.
5. Updated catalog headings to reflect community-informed language and reparative practices in the collection guide and catalog records. 

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Lastly, to ensure transparency and accountability, we have saved previous versions of the original collection guide. New descriptive notes explain changes and provide citations for resources consulted.  

Where past description offered little context—or framed images through a missionary lens—we now add clarity and care, acknowledging the perspectives of the communities depicted. Our goal is to make sure that PHS collections not only preserve the past but also reflect a present commitment to equity and accountability. Reparative description is ongoing work that requires collaboration, humility, and openness to critique. 

By repairing the language in our collection guides and catalog records, we honor the complex history of Presbyterian mission work among the Dakota people. We also invite researchers and community members to engage with these collections in ways that are truthful, respectful, and just.