Event runs August 16-18 in Shakopee
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Dancers of all ages will gather at the annual Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi (Pow Wow) from Friday, August 16, through Sunday, August 18, at the Wacipi Grounds on the SMSC reservation. A social gathering where friends and relatives celebrate their culture and way of life, the Wacipi is open to the public. The word “Wacipi” (pronounced “wah-chee-pee”) in the Dakota language translates as "they dance."
This year’s Wacipi will be dedicated to the memory of the late Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Stanley R. Crooks (November 27, 1941-August 25, 2012). Chairman Crooks was serving his fifth consecutive four-year term as Chairman at the time of his passing.
At the Wacipi, hundreds of dancers from across the country will compete against their peers in several categories. Native American teams will also play traditional moccasin games of skill and chance where the object is to find a small bead underneath one of four decorated “moccasins” that lay flat in a row amidst hand drum songs, shaking rattles, and other distractions.
The Wacipi will also feature vendors with arts, crafts, beadwork, jewelry, quillwork, and traditional foods for sale, including frybread, wojapi (berry pudding), wild rice, hominy soup, buffalo burgers, Indian tacos, and much more. Additional food vendors are being added for the 2013 event. Vendors are by invitation only.
The Wacipi events will include:
· Grand entries of the veterans, flags, and dancers at 7 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday
· Fireworks at 10 p.m. on Saturday at the Wacipi Grounds
· A church service at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the nearby Tiowakan Spiritual Center
Wacipi buttons will be available for $5 at the gate. Buttons include admission for the entire weekend and a free meal served from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Admission, including the free Saturday evening meal, is free to everyone ages 60 and older and children ages 10 and under. Onsite parking is free.
Staff and drum groups announced
Community member Glynn A. Crooks, chairman of the Pow Wow Committee, has served in this capacity for more than 20 years. Host drums are Wahpekute (South Dakota) and Mazakute (Nebraska). Arena directors are Rusty Gillette (Arikara and Hidatsa) and Juaquin Hamilton (Sac and Fox). Emcees are Wallace Coffey (Comanche) and Danny Seaboy (Sisseton Wahpeton/White Earth). The moccasin games coordinator is David Flute (Sisseton Wahpeton).
Because there are both Northern and Southern dance styles, Northern and Southern drums groups have been invited. Northern drum groups are: Iron Boy (Minnesota), The Boyz (Minnesota), Hoka Hey (Minnesota), Black Lodge (Washington), Bear Creek (Ontario), Mountain Soul (Alberta), and Bad Nation (South Dakota). Southern drum groups are: Buc Wild (Arizona), Sizzortail (Oklahoma), and Youngbird (Oklahoma). Only invited drums are allowed at the SMSC Wacipi.
For more information
The SMSC Wacipi Grounds are located at 3212 Dakotah Parkway in Shakopee. For directions or more information on the Wacipi, visit smscwacipi.org/ or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/shakopeepowwow or call 952-445-8900.
About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. With a focus on being a good neighbor, good steward of the earth, and good employer, the SMSC is committed to community partnerships, charitable donations, a healthy environment, and a strong economy. The SMSC and the SMSC Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) are the largest employer in Scott County. Out of a Dakota tradition to help others, the SMSC has also donated nearly $272 million to organizations and causes since 1992, funds its own infrastructure, and contributes generously to regional governments and infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, and emergency services.