Our Values
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is part of the Oceti Ṡakowiŋ, or the Seven Council Fires, which include the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota people located throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada.
Before contact with European-Americans, our Dakota ancestors lived in harmony with the land. Guided by the stars and moon, we moved seasonally to hunt, harvest, and plant.
Hoċokata Ṫi Cultural Center
In 2016, the SMSC broke ground for the construction of Hoċokata Ṫi, which means “lodge at the center of the camp” in the Dakota language. Opened in 2019, this building serves as a home for Community gatherings and a place where members can celebrate, explore, and preserve Mdewakanton Dakota cultural heritage, language, and history for generations to come.
Hoċokata Ṫi has a state-of-the-art storage facility for cultural artifacts, an auditorium, classrooms, and pottery studio.
Our History
Indigenous people have lived in what is now Minnesota for around 13,000 years. Our Dakota history reflects the stars above us and the waters, plants/lands, and animals that shape our home in what is now called Minnesota.
We are still here and continue to live our traditional Dakota lifeways that will be passed through future generations.
Dakota Language
The Dakota language is critically endangered. It was stripped from us during an era of forced assimilation driven by federal laws, regulations, and policies. Our children were sent to boarding schools to become “civilized” and were punished for speaking in their native language.
We suffered greatly during this painful period, and we are still recovering. For decades we were fearful and ashamed to speak our language, feelings that continue even today among too many of our people.
SMSC Wacipi
A Wacipi is a traditional Native American celebration of life. It is a time when people gather together to dance, sing, and celebrate, while renewing friendships, old and new.
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) traditionally hosts two wacipis each year with one held every summer and another hosted during the winter months. The SMSC Wacipi is a three-day event hosted every August at the SMSC Wacipi Grounds while the SMSC Winter Wacipi is a two-day event hosted at Hoċokata Ṫi.