Hocokata ti (Cultural Center)

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) needed a gathering space large enough to accommodate their growing community and provide space for members during council meetings and events. The tribe also had an extensive inventory of cultural artifacts with no space to display or share the story of their history and culture.

Bolton & Menk led an integrated design team that assisted the community with site selection and developed a plan to accommodate future campus needs. The team worked with community members and the SMSC Business Council to establish a budget for phased construction of site elements. We developed concepts and construction documents that integrated access to restored prairie and wetland areas, water features, and gathering spaces for educational, recreational, and interpretive opportunities.

A ribbon cutting for the completed Hocokata ti was held in July 2019, with additional site improvements completed in 2020. Additional site features were added in 2022, when SMSC asked the team to develop a gathering area for their Youth Camp northwest of the cultural center facility. Our relationship with SMSC and Hocokata ti staff has helped guide landscape establishment and continues to support conversations about future features to meet the community’s evolving needs.