chamberlainc, Author at Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Scott County, MN

Grant program seeks to strengthen classroom lessons on Minnesota’s Native American history

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is funding awards of up to $2,000, to be administered by the Minneapolis Foundation.

Annual Waniyetu Art Market Returns to Hoċokata Ṫi

The Waniyetu Art Market is returning to Hoċokata Ṫi on December 7-9. The annual event will again feature a wide variety of art and handmade goods for sale from more than 40 Native and local artisans and vendors. New this year, the market will be open extended hours, from 10am-7pm each day.

Here’s just a sampling of items that attendees will find at the market:

Beadwork
Paintings
Body care products
Clothing
Jewelry
Pottery
Home décor
Woodwork designs
Star quilts
Photography
And more!

Food will also be available for purchase. Those in attendance can also check out the public exhibit, Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake, with paid admission.

Hoċokata Ṫi to Host Tribal Museums Day

Hoċokata Ṫi is proud to partner with the Association on American Indian Affairs to host Tribal Museums Day on Saturday, December 2. To recognize the day, all visitors will receive free admission to the public exhibit, Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake, during normal operating hours.

Tribal Museums Day, which takes place the first Saturday of December, began last year in celebration of the Association on American Indian Affairs’ 100th anniversary. The day’s mission is to encourage people to visit tribal museums and learn directly from tribes themselves about their histories, cultures, and lifeways. The day also brings attention to Native artists and businesses. Tribal Musems Day kicks off Tribal Museums Week.

The Association on American Indian Affairs will also host a livestream event from Hoċokata Ṫi beginning at 2pm. It will feature interviews with staff from Hoċokata Ṫi and other tribal museums from across the country.

To reserve a timeslot for the exhibit, book tickets online at hocokatati.org and enter promo code TMD2023. Walkups will also be accepted.

Visit Indian-affairs.org for more information about the Association on American Indian Affairs and Tribal Museums Day.

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces additional investment in Minnesota-based clean energy company Niron Magnetics

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announced that it has made an additional $5 million investment in Minnesota-based Niron Magnetics. The company is the developer of the world’s first high-performance, rare earth-free permanent magnets, named one of the best inventions of 2023 by TIME Magazine. In 2016, the tribe was among the first investors in the new technology developed at the University of Minnesota.

The tribe’s investment is part of $33 million in additional funding in Niron being announced today. Other investors include leading automotive manufacturers, GM Ventures and Stellantis Ventures, and the University of Minnesota.

The new financing will allow Niron to expand its current pilot production facilities located in Minneapolis and scale its manufacturing capacity. The company doubled its employees from 30 to 60 in the past year and plans to double again in 2024.

“We were first introduced to Niron in 2016 through the University of Minnesota where this innovative technology was being developed,” said SMSC Chairman Keith Anderson. “We liked that the company’s mission aligned with our tribe’s values to be good stewards of the environment and to be a good neighbor by supporting Minnesota innovation and economic growth.”

Investment in the development of the technology paid off. Today, Niron Magnetics has created the first powerful permanent magnet made from abundant and sustainable materials. The company has grown from a team of four working on borrowed University of Minnesota equipment to a team of over 60 working in a state-of-the-art magnetics facility. This latest fundraising round represents a new stage for Niron Magnetics as it shifts its needs from research and development to commercialization and scaling.

“Having the support and backing of the SMSC from the beginning has been so important to Niron Magnetics and the development of this new technology,” said Niron Magnetics CEO Jonathan Rowntree. “We are grateful for the tribe’s ongoing support of what we believe will be transformational to clean energy.”

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Dakota tribal government located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Following a Dakota tradition of generosity, the SMSC is one of the top philanthropists in Minnesota and is the largest contributor to other tribal governments and causes across the country. It is a strong community partner and a leader in protecting and restoring natural resources. The SMSC’s government, Gaming Enterprise and various other enterprises are collectively the largest employer in Scott County and attract millions of visitors to the region.

About Niron Magnetics
Niron Magnetics is scaling the world’s first advanced manufacturing process for the mass production of permanent magnets powered by its breakthrough material formulation. Niron’s proprietary Clean Earth Magnet® technology based on Iron Nitride enables magnets that possess inherently high magnetization, are free of rare-earth and other critical materials, and will enable a revolution in the design of new electric motors and generators. For more information on Niron Magnetics and its technology, please visit https://www.nironmagnetics.com/.

Prescribed Burns Planned for This Fall

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is planning prescribed burns this fall in several locations on SMSC lands listed below. The SMSC conducts prescribed burns on SMSC lands and, upon request and through mutual aid agreements, in neighboring jurisdictions each spring and fall as an effective land management tool.

SMSC locations this fall*:

Prairies located northeast of the junction of County Road 79 and County Road 72
Prairie located to the northeast of the junction of County Road 83 and Tintaocanku
Prairie located to the east of Hoċokata Ṫi
Oak savanna located northeast of the junction of County Road 83 and County Road 82
Prairie located northeast of the junction of County Road 83 and County Road 42
Shakopee Memorial Park oak savanna located north of County Road 101
Prairie located northeast of the junction of Dakotah Parkway and Wacipi Drive
Prairie located southeast of the junction of McKenna Road and County Road 16

*Subject to change depending on weather and site conditions

A prescribed burn is an intentionally lit, controlled fire used by land managers to replicate natural fire events. Before Europeans colonized this area, fires were sometimes started by lightning but many more times by Dakota and other Indigenous people. They burned areas for many reasons, but they were mostly used to clear land for agriculture; to improve grazing and forage for game species like bison; to reduce brush in woodlands, which helped with easier travel; and to boost plant and seed production.

Fire helps native plants in prairies, oak savannas, and some wetlands stay healthy and vigorous. These plants provide excellent habitat for species, such as the meadowlark, dickcissel, monarch butterfly, and other wildlife. Fire is also an excellent tool to reduce weeds and other invasive woody species that outcompete native plants for resources.

All prescribed burns are designed to meet ecological objectives and are entirely dependent upon weather conditions, such as relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed and direction. Exact dates of the burns will be announced on the SMSC’s Twitter account.

The SMSC wildland fire program coordinates with neighboring entities, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other state and federal agencies to lead and assist with prescribed burns within the region. During prescribed burns, trained burn crew members monitor weather conditions to protect air quality and road visibility to minimize potential impacts to neighboring communities.

Minnesota Native reading project teaches ‘present tense’ of Indigenous lives

A book that tells the stories of the Upper Sioux Community may help students across the state learn more about Indigenous communities in Minnesota. Another tribal nation, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, is providing the books for free.

Shakopee Mdewakanton community donates 15 AEDs to Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community were recognized by the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board after the tribe donate 15 automated external defibrillators to the district.

SMSC Wacipi Showcases Native Culture

A record number of dancers were highlighted at the 2023 SMSC Wacipi as the Community celebrated Native culture and traditions at the SMSC’s largest event of the year.

An estimated total of more than 1,100 dancers (including 1,062 registered dancers) entered the Arena at the SMSC Wacipi Grounds over the three-day traditional gathering, making for an incredible sight for all to see.

“I’d like to thank all of our Community Members and staff, especially the SMSC Wacipi Committee, our emergency personnel, and our volunteers, because this event is truly something special to see,” Chairman Keith Anderson said during Friday’s Grand Entry.

Meaning “they dance” in the Dakota language, this year’s wacipi saw dancers, drum groups, dignitaries, and more turn out for an exciting weekend in the sweltering August heat. In addition to the action in the Arena, the SMSC Wacipi also provided spectators and guests with chances to see a hand drum contest and moccasin games, along with the thrilling fireworks on Saturday night!

A large number of Native American artists and craft vendors were also in attendance, selling traditional beadwork, jewelry, and handmade goods, as well as food vendors offering a variety of tasty, traditional foods and other items. In spite of the heat, this year’s SMSC Wacipi continued to showcase and celebrate life, pride, and honor for all of Indian Country.

“This weekend is a time for our Community to come together and to share our culture with our neighbors, guests, and relatives,” Chairman Anderson said. “Whether you traveled from just down the street or across the continent, we are honored that you chose to spend your weekend with us.”

To see a complete list of winners from the SMSC Wacipi, please visit smscwacipi.org.

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux to welcome up to 15 bison this fall

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will reintroduce pte, or bison, this fall, bringing back what they believe is a sacred species to their tribal acreage in Shakopee after the animal was nearly wiped out more than a century ago by white settlers.

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to reintroduce bison

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) today announced its plans to reintroduce pte (bison) on its tribal lands in Shakopee. The Dakota people consider the pte a relative, and the tribe has been conducting an extensive planning process to bring bison back to its lands in a sustainable, safe and ecologically beneficial way.

Late this fall, the SMSC will welcome a small herd of up to 15 bison from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota. The herd will live on 165 acres of tribal land southeast of the junction of County Rd. 83 and Eagle Creek Blvd. in Shakopee, north of the tribe’s current Organics Recycling Facility. Fencing is being installed at the site.

Historically, the SMSC looked after and had a reciprocal relationship with the natural surroundings, including bison, which the Dakota people depended on for food, medicine and materials. When colonization occurred, the bison were violently removed from the area and nearly exterminated.

“The story of the bison mirrors the story of Dakota peoples in many ways, and both are resilient,” said SMSC Chairman Keith Anderson. “Our tribe has restored and revitalized its relationship with our plant relatives over the decades, and we now have the opportunity to revitalize our relationship with our relative, the pte. Reintroducing bison to our homelands will allow us to bring back traditional ceremonies and food and medicine important to our people.”

The bison will roam freely within an enclosure and graze native prairie plants. Wetlands and prairies were once widespread in Scott County, and the SMSC has worked to restore both ecosystems on the reservation. The SMSC has restored more than 1,000 acres of prairie over the past 20 years; the bison will help maintain prairie health.

The SMSC’s land and natural resources department is overseeing the planning process, including learning from other tribes and organizations that have successfully reintroduced bison. The SMSC has been completing a safety plan and will be working with local municipalities and public safety agencies to ensure the safety of the herd and local residents. More information is available at ShakopeeDakota.org/pte.