Bdote Tour
Intersections of local place, race, and history
Saturday, September 11
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Free and open to the public!
Register: click HERE
When it comes to learning and making a difference, often it’s best to start close to home!
Bdote is an immersive experience that brings participants to sites of great significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. Participants will learn stories and histories from Dakota community members that have often been left out or unexplored. Beginning with our congregational Racial Equity and Reconciliation work (see the Vision 2025 magazine), we will build upon this experience to deepen our understanding of racial diversity in Minnesota and the challenges that persist today.
Details:
Remembering and Honoring Bdote: The Power of Learning From Place
Learning from Place: Bdote is an immersive experience that brings participants to sites of great significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. Participants will learn from Dakota community members through stories and histories that have often been left out of our state’s history. This experience is open to the general public and is particularly beneficial for educators who want to include new perspectives in their history curriculum.
Learning from Place: Bdote will begin at Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul and end at the Bdote – Thomas C. Savage Interpretive Center at Fort Snelling (parking permit is required). We will be outside the entire time. Participants need to provide their own transportation, snacks, and beverages.
9:00 a.m. Arrive at Mounds Park (10 Mounds Boulevard, St. Paul, MN)
(Public bathrooms are available, street parking is available)
Duane Goodman – Sculpture Grandmothers Hands -City of St Paul’s Art in the Park
We will be discussing ways of knowing, narrative change, and what does that look like? Who is doing it well? Who needs a nudge? (Reuben Kitto Stately)
10:30 AM Depart for The Bdote at Thomas C. Savage Interpretive Center
101 Snelling Lake Rd, St Paul, MN 55111
This address is called “Uncategorized.” Enter the park from Post Road exit on 494/Hwy5 and follow Snelling Lake Road all the way to the end to parking area. This is not Historic Fort Snelling, but the Lower Fort Snelling. The entrance is off of Post Road. Please check your maps, sometimes this causes delays for participants. Meet in Parking area in front of Interpretive Center. There is a fee to enter the park, so ride sharing is great. Also, you can purchase parking passes in advance and pass them out in parking area. Leave pass visible on your windshield.
11:00-1:00 Walk to The Bdote – Ramona Kitto Stately
Ramona reveals the history of this place of power. What does Bdote mean to the Dakhota people who have lived here for 12,000 years?
Walk to Memorial : Wokiksuye K’a Woyuonihan – Ramona
Special note: There are port-o-potties available along the tour. Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, etc. Some spaces require standing for long periods of time. Feel free to bring a light chair to carry and sit! Photos are fine, but please do not audio tape the tour. Feel free to share you photos with us!