Hoċokata Ṫi: Mdewakanton Community opens cultural center, museum
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s cultural center and public museum are now open after decades of work, community members said this week.
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Articles
Ċhaŋphása Wí
Ċhaŋphása Wí is the time of year when chaŋphá (chokecherry) ripens and is gathered. Chaŋphá is known for its resiliency and therefore is a traditional medicine and a traditional food of the Dakota. Chaŋpháhu (chokecherry branches), chaŋphá (chokecherry fruit), chaŋphásu (chokecherry seed), and chaŋphá haŋpí chokecherry juice) are used in ceremonies and are medicines. Chaŋphá...
Spring Subsistence
Spring is a time for renewal and to celebrate the cycle of life and honor Unci Maka, Grandmother Earth. For Dakota people, the arrival of spring meant the arrival of a new season’s resources. To better understand Dakota lifeways, it is necessary to understand the patterns associated with seasonal subsistence activities. Camps moved to locations...
Wozupi wi (or May, the Moon for Planting)
During Wozupi wi (or May, the Moon for Planting), the Dakota people returned to their summer family homes and villages and varied their work according to the abundance of the season. As the soil thawed and the weather turned warm, families planted crops such as corn, squash, and beans, and harvested traditional medicines and indigenous...
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) breaks ground on 76,000-square-foot cultural center and exhibit
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) has begun to build Hocokata Ti, their newest building that will serve as a cultural activity site, a community gathering space, and a public exhibit highlighting the history of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux.
