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 lodge, which is the traditional summer home of the Dakota people. While it took three weeks to construct, its presence marks a revival of traditional lifeways that had been absent for more than 150 years.
Read about the history of bark lodges and the SMSC’s efforts to build the summer dwelling in issue II of Wiċoṡkaŋ, the magazine of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
