Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community

08/19/2026

Only 23 days left till the annual Wacipi!!

Join us in celebrating our community on September 12th and 13th!

Drum Split and Dancer payouts on Sunday evening ✨
Vendors and Food Trucks 🛻
Lacrosse clinics and game 🥍

08/18/2026

Are you an MMDTC member and a veteran or service member who will be attending this year's wacipi (pow-wow)? If so, please email Renee Johnson at [email protected] to be nominated to receive a Quilt of Valor.

08/10/2026

For 30 years, our Annual Wacipi has brought together community members, dancers, singers, artists, vendors and visitors to celebrate and share Dakota culture.

This year, some of the funding sources that have traditionally supported our Wacipi were unable to contribute, as a result we are
asking our friends, relatives, community members, businesses, and organizations to help us bridge this resource gap if they are able.

There are several ways you can help:

Make a Financial Donation
Monetary donations help offset the many costs associated with hosting the Wacipi, including event infrastructure, supplies, cultural programming, and other essentials. These donations can be made via our website www.mendotadakota.org

Donate Bottled Water
Keeping dancers, singers, volunteers, elders, and attendees hydrated throughout the gathering is essential. Donations of cases of bottled water are greatly appreciated!

Volunteer Your Time
Wacipi is a community effort, and volunteers are an important part of making the gathering successful. We welcome individuals and groups who can donate their time to assist with setup, event operations, hospitality, cleanup, and other needs.

Contact [email protected] for more information

We are committed to continuing this tradition and look forward to seeing everyone September 11th - 13th. Wopida Tanka!

Háu mitákuyepi! "How mee-TAH-koo-yeh-pee" Háu = "Hello" mitákuyepi = "my relatives" "Hello, my relatives!" Who are we?We are the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota. Our ancestors have lived in the lands around Mdote — the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers — from time immemor...

07/23/2026

MMDTC is proud to offer free online Dakota Iápi classes this fall. Registration is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early! This opportunity is available to all our Dakota relatives, MMDTC membership is not required.

07/16/2026

Vendor applications are being accepted until August 15th for our 29th annual Wacipi.
Visit mendotadakota.org for the application and more details.

Háu mitákuyepi! "How mee-TAH-koo-yeh-pee" Háu = "Hello" mitákuyepi = "my relatives" "Hello, my relatives!" Who are we?We are the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota. Our ancestors have lived in the lands around Mdote — the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers — from time immemor...

02/02/2026

01/29/2026

On Thursday, we joined Blue Hummingbird Woman and family to honor her son Isaac Garcia of Isaac's Blessing Bags in receiving the Hamline University Beloved Community Member Award. We commend his legacy work to help our unsheltered, especially in these times when they are increasingly vulnerable. In the days to come, we'll share more stories of his impact, catch him live in action, and the additional efforts he and others are doing to keep our communities in St. Paul safe, especially Native, Black and brown relatives.

Keynote speakers at the award ceremony noted Dream speech from 1965. Isaac, a recent Tiwahe grantee, shows us the future our Native youth are preparing, embodying the belief that all life is interrelated and that, "I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be."

It was such a joy to be with you and others in our Tiwahe family - you deserve every accolade and word of praise (especially because you are never seeking it).

Leadership



Bags