This year marks the 150th anniversary of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) captured the story behind this violent chapter in American history in two documentaries, Dakota Conflict and Dakota Exile.

These pioneering films originally aired in the 1990s and resonated not only with Minnesota audiences, but also with PBS viewers nationwide. To commemorate the Dakota people’s struggle and celebrate their efforts to retain their rich heritage, tpt will rebroadcasting these documentaries this Thursday at 8 and 9 p.m. on tpt 2.

Told through diaries, old photographs, sketchbooks, newspaper archives, trial transcripts and oral histories, both documentaries were the first comprehensive television treatment of the topic.

• Dakota Conflict focuses on the war that broke out between Minnesota's white European settlers and its Dakota Indian population. By the end of the year, hundreds of settlers and an unknown number of Dakota were dead, settler communities were abandoned, and 38 Dakota men were hanged in Mankato in the largest mass execution in the United States.
• Dakota Exile examines the history of the scattered Dakota tribe. . Forced from Minnesota by the push for new territory, Dakota members were thrust onto untenable lands in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana while many fled to Canada.

Also, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, the Minnesota History Center opened a new exhibit that offers visitors the opportunity to view documents, images and artifacts relating to the war. Click here for more information about the exhibit. And for information on upcoming events and more resources about the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, click here.

Watch Dakota Conflict and Dakota Exile back-to-back this Thursday starting at 8 p.m. on tpt 2.