The SMSC launches $6 million campaign to improve the physical and mental wellness of Native youth in Minnesota

Prior Lake, Minn. — The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) today announced the launch of IndigeFit Kids, a $6 million, three-year philanthropic campaign to improve the physical fitness and mental wellness of Native youth in Minnesota. SMSC Vice-Chairwoman Natasha Hacker and Secretary/Treasurer Ashley Cornforth, who will co-chair the campaign for the tribe, announced the effort along with several […]

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to host free educational events to celebrate We Are Water traveling exhibit

Shakopee, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) today announced that its cultural center, Hoċokata Ṫi [ho-cho-kah-tah-tee], will host three educational events in November. The events are in conjunction with the We Are Water MN statewide traveling exhibit, which the tribe is hosting now through Dec. 7. The We Are Water MN exhibit is organized by the Minnesota Humanities […]

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Public invited to SMSC Wacipi powwow, Aug. 16-18

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) invites the public to its annual SMSC Wacipi (pronounced “wah-chee-pee”), Friday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 18. Held at the tribe’s Wacipi Grounds in Shakopee, the free weekend-long event draws hundreds of dancers and thousands of visitors each year. A Wacipi, or powwow, is a traditional Native […]

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Prescribed burns planned for this spring

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is planning prescribed burns this spring 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 stewardship tool.

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Hoċokata Ṫi named 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service Award Finalist

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today that Hoċokata Ṫi (pronounced ho-cho-kah-tah-tee), the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC)’s cultural center, is among 30 finalists for the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Hoċokata Ṫi is the only institution in Minnesota to be selected as a finalist […]

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to open first LaunchPad Golf location in United States

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) today announced it has partnered with LaunchPad Golf to open the company’s first location in the United States. The new facility will be next to Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake.

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community elects new Business Council

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) members elected Cole Miller as Chairman, Natasha K. Hacker as Vice-Chairwoman and Ashley Cornforth as Secretary/Treasurer yesterday. These three elected officials will serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 31 and make up the tribe’s Business Council.

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Shakopee Mdewakanton, University of Minnesota partner on deer research

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) announced it will partner with the University of Minnesota (UMN) to capture and collar white-tailed deer using helicopters starting this week. SMSC staff and UMN researchers will use low-flying helicopters with nets to catch deer, fit them with GPS radio collars, collect health samples and release them to monitor their movements.

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

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.

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Prescribed Burns Planned for This Fall

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.

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to reintroduce bison

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.

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Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community breaks ground on new, state-of-the-art organics recycling facility in Louisville Township

On June 27, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) broke ground on its new organics recycling facility named Dakota Prairie Composting in Louisville Township. Dakota Prairie Composting will replace the tribe’s current organics recycling facility in Shakopee, which is one of only two large-scale composting facilities processing source-separated organics in the Twin Cities metro area. Construction will begin in July, and the facility is expected to be fully operational by summer 2024.

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