Discover

Dakota History

Hoċokata Ṫi’s (pronounced 'ho-cho-ka-ta tee' ) 3,805-square-foot public exhibit, Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake, provides visitors with a cultural experience that enhances their knowledge and understanding of the Mdewakanton (pronounced 'med-ah-wah-kah-ton' ) Dakota people and their history.

New Display Shares the Area’s Geological History

Next time you visit Hoċokata Ṫi to learn more about the history of the Mdewakanton Dakota people in our public exhibit, you can also discover the earth’s history in a new display. Located next to the gift shop is a stratigraphic column, which represents the layers of the earth that were formed in this area


The History of Bark Lodges

From the parking lot at Hoċokata Ṫi, visitors may notice a wooden structure standing in the middle of the prairie surrounding the cultural center. Though modest in size against the expansive landscape, it represents another meaningful step to recapture Dakota ways of the past. In May 2024, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community built a bark


Spring Gift Shop Highlights

It’s a time to celebrate new beginnings—welcoming births of our animal relatives, and embracing the renewal of wétu (spring). Visit the Hoċokata Ṫi gift shop to explore unique items that celebrate the return of spring and the Dakota New Year. View our spring featured items.


Breathing New Life Into a Rare Exhibit Piece

In July 2024, a partnership between the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian resulted in a historic instrument returning to Dakota homelands for the first time in a century. A wooden flute, believed to have been made in the late 1800s, is on display in the Mdewakanton: Dwellers


Stop by our Gift Shop

Guests are invited to visit the gift shop to discover Native-made art, jewelry, books, music, craft supplies, and more!

Group and Field Trips

Our cultural interpreters will guide you through the exhibit to enrich your understanding of Mdewakanton Dakota culture, history, and people. Perfect for school field trips, senior groups, and professional organizations.

Hocokata TI Tipi View

2300 Tiwahe Circle, Shakopee, MN 55372
952.233.9151
Open Wednesday-Saturday from 9am-4:30 pm

Subscribe for updates: