Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

About

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is part of the Oceti Sakowin, or the Seven Council Fires, which include the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota people located throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada.

Before contact with European-Americans, our Dakota ancestors lived in harmony with the land. Guided by the stars and moon, we moved seasonally to hunt, harvest, and plant. These seasonal migrations allowed us to care for our families and communities. We were connected to our homeland, to our traditions, and to each other.

Throughout history, our people have been guided by a set of core values that define how we live within our family, our community, and our world. For each of us, our understanding of these values deepen and change as we age.

These same values also guide our tribal government as it works to protect our sovereignty and provide for the well-being of our members, while also focusing on being a good neighbor, good employer, and good steward of the earth.