Where Taste Meets Tradition
Offering an extensive menu suitable for any occasion, Native Harvest Catering has built a reputation for providing memorable culinary experiences.
Learn more about Native Harvest Catering in Wiċoṡkaŋ: The Magazine of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: isu.pub/QJPLymH
Native Harvest Catering is owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Visit NativeHarvestCatering.com to learn more about the innovative catering company.
Building a Better Future for Our Neighbors
In 2022, the SMSC partnered with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to assist in the building of the Towering Woods Townhomes project in Prior Lake. At more than 1,800 staffed volunteer hours and counting, the project is already the largest charitable undertaking in SMSC history with a new phase of building set for April 2025.
Read about the SMSC’s efforts in Wiċoṡkaŋ: The Magazine of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community at tinyurl.com/bdzb8uf9 and sign up to help at tchabitat.org/volunteer.
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to Host Third Annual Dakota Language Bowl
It’s that time again to gather a team and brush up on your Dakota language skills. The third annual SMSC Dak̇ota Iapi Akiċiyapi (Dakota Language Bowl) is back at Hoċokata Ṫi on April 25. This exciting event will once again feature friendly competition, great prizes, and an opportunity for Dakota speakers of all levels to come together and celebrate the language.
During the competition, teams will be asked to showcase their knowledge of the Dakota language through a variety of challenges, including quizzes, speaking, and singing.
All are welcome to participate and attend the language bowl. Teams that register by April 8 will receive a free T-shirt. Same-day registration is also available. Breakfast and lunch will be served to all participants. More information is available at hocokatati.org/events/dakota-language-bowl.
Good Fire: An Environmental and Cultural Practice
As the SMSC prepares for prescribed burns this spring, learn about the ecological and cultural significance of the practice from SMSC Manager of Natural Resources Ferin Davis Anderson, co-author of the book Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire.
Read the latest from Wiċoṡkaŋ: The Magazine of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community at tinyurl.com/2ts72bk9.
Prescribed Burns to Take Place This Spring
Prescribed burns have been scheduled for several locations around the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and nearby areas this spring.
These locations include:
• Wetland and prairie southwest of the junction of Stemmer Ridge Road and Skuya Drive in the Inyan Ceyaka Otunwe neighborhood
• Oak Savanna southeast of the junction of County Road 14 and Townline Avenue
• Prairie to the northwest of the junction of Dakotah Parkway and Wacipi Drive
• Prairie northeast of the junction of Mystic Lake Drive and Tintaocanku Drive
• Oak Savanna located in Shakopee Memorial Park
• Prairie located to the southeast of the junction of County Road 82 and Mniowe Trail
• Prairie located west of Hoċokata Ṫi and southwest of the junction of Tiwahe Circle and Wakpa Lane
• Oak Savanna located to the south of Dean’s Lake, north of the junction of County Road 16 and Eagle Creek Boulevard
• Median prairies located on Dakotah Parkway
• Prairie located to the southwest of the junction of Eagle Creek Boulevard and Mckenna Road
• Shoreline along Mystic Lake and County Road 83
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 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 social channels and beacon.
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.
Echoes of the Past
A partnership between the SMSC and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian resulted in a historic instrument being returned to Dakota homelands for the first time in a century.
Read about the SMSC’s efforts to breathe new life into a rare exhibit piece in the debut issue of Wiċoṡkaŋ: tinyurl.com/bdz5seh4.
Providing Hope with Harvest Park
Recognizing that hunger is the world’s No. 1 health risk, the SMSC continued its partnership with Harvest Pack last month, providing hope for those facing food insecurity. Thank you to everyone who joined in the effort to pack 30,000 meals for local food shelves.
Learn more about the SMSC’s charitable initiatives by visiting shakopeedakota.org/philanthropy/.
SMSC Supports Special Olympics Minnesota at Polar Plunge Event
From setup to splashdown, the SMSC was proud to participate in the 2025 Polar Plunge event in February, helping raise over $310,000 to support Special Olympics Minnesota.
Held at Sand Point Beach in Prior Lake, the Polar Plunge saw a number of SMSC team members assist in preparations and set up for the annual event while three SMSC teams braved the cold temps above and below the ice, plunging into the freezing waters of Lower Prior Lake for a worthy cause.
Learn more about the SMSC’s charitable initiatives by visiting shakopeedakota.org/philanthropy.
Get to Know the SMSC Business Council
Since gaining federal recognition in 1969, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) has elected tribal members to oversee the day-to-day operations of the tribe and implement the direction voted upon by tribal membership. The three-member Business Council is charged with promoting the health, education, and welfare of SMSC members and their families now and for generations to come. Elected in January 2024, the SMSC’s current members of Business Council possess different life stories, work experiences, and personalities, but they are unified by a shared passion for protecting the tribe’s sovereignty and building a brighter future for their Community.
Check out the Q&A in the inaugural issue of Wiċoṡkaŋ and learn about the leaders shaping the SMSC’s future and their vision for strengthening the tribe.