Building
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 collection facility for cultural artifacts, a theater, activity rooms, and pottery studio. The building also includes many Dakota-inspired features, including seven 40-foot tipi structures and a 9,881-square-foot gathering space in the shape of a circle. These attributes have earned acclaim and awards for the building’s distinctive design and exemplary role as a model cultural center.
Bark Lodge
Alongside a small body of water in the prairie surrounding Hocokata Ti, visitors will notice a bark lodge, once a summer dwelling of the Dakota people. Tribal members built the wood structure in 2024 using traditional materials, including elm bark and tamarack poles. The lodge is used to practice seasonal lifeways and provide a space for ceremonies, teachings, and gatherings.
We come together to interpret and encourage Mdewakanton Dakota cultural heritage, language and history by sustaining this inherent knowledge for our Community Members through exhibitions, preservation, and education.
Public Exhibit
While most of the building and outside grounds are for tribal members only, the upper level of Hoċokata Ṫi is open to the public and includes a 3,850-square-foot public exhibit, Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake, a library, and gift shop.
