Three years in the making

Shakopee cultural center now open

SHAKOPEE, MN— It took three years and $41 million, but Hocokata Ti , the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s (SMSC) new cultural center will open to the public on July 26, 2019.

According to the SMSC website, the cultural center will be “a gathering space that will be used to interpret and encourage traditional Mdewakanton Dakota cultural heritage, language, and history by sustaining this inherent knowledge for SMSC members through exhibitions, preservation and education.”

The 92,500-foot structure will feature seven 40-foot high tipis, and a uniquely constructed building.

Project manager for McGough Construction, Carolyn Wolf, said: “I don’t know of a single building like it. Every aspect of the space is unique, from the building materials to the floor pattern to the three-tiered roof system. There is only one 90-degree corner in the whole building enclosure. It’s truly a remarkable design.”

A look behind the scenes as we pack artifacts and make the move to our new cultural center at Hoċokata Ti. The new building will feature a cultural gathering place, along with a public exhibit highlighting the history of the SMSC. It will be open to the public later this summer. pic.twitter.com/8UCudFXFmJ — Shakopee Mdewakanton (@ShakopeeDakota) March 15, 2019

“Ho-cho-kah-tah-tee” means “the lodge at the center of the camp,” but in the years to come it will come to mean this facility, the crown jewel of SMSC’s wide-ranging, lucrative tribal empire, built from a tragic past and humble beginnings.

SMSC Chairman Charles R. Vig said: “It’s time to tell our story. The most important part of this building— besides our culture, our teachings, and our history— is it will help tell our story as Mdewakanton Dakota, to others.”

One of the seven council fires of the Oceti Sakowin, the Mdewakanton were at the center of the bloody 1862 conflict that resulted in hundreds of deaths, and the largest mass execution in US history (38 tribal leaders deemed accountable for the bloodshed). Beyond the specifics of that conflict, was the fate of a small band of Mdewakanton relocated on a 250-acre tract in the 1880’s. For the better part of a century they struggled, initially destitute, often impoverished, dependent upon an often indifferent federal government, but all of that changed starting in 1969, when the SMSC received federal recognition.

Little Six Bingo Palace opened in 1982, but it soon became Little Six Casino after it became obvious the real money was in other, more sophisticated forms of gambling and entertainment. By 1992, SMSC had perfected their casino model and expanded to the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. The original 250-acre allotment, fortuitously located near a large metropolitan area, grew to 2,000 acres and the SMSC casino based enterprise generated great wealth for the 658-member tribe.

It took a couple of decades, but SMSC became a well-oiled economic machine, and are now the largest employer in Scott County. The Tribe did not forget their relatives and neighbors. They have been a critical force in economic development and philanthropy. They often provide the seed money for other tribes to pursue their own economic development.

Construction continues on Hoċokata Ti, the SMSC’s new cultural center. With paved parking lots and a nearly completed exterior, the Community is eager to take over the building in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/8XCJuSr1Rq — Shakopee Mdewakanton (@ShakopeeDakota) November 19, 2018

James Giago Davies is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. He can be reached at skindiesel@msn.com

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today

Join the Conversation