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10 bison settle in on 165 acres of tribal land in Shakopee
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community say it’s the first time in more than 100 years that the animal has roamed this land.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — For the first time in more than 100 years, bison are once again roaming on tribal land in Shakopee.
It’s a process two years in the making for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) and cultural outreach coordinator Cyndy Milda.
“Our history is not an easy one, it’s a really hard one,” said Milda. “That’s where I try to teach and educate and try to help as many people as I can just learn who we are as Dakota people.”
Their history dates back hundreds of years and part of it includes animals who they consider relatives.
“Any form of animal is a relative, but pte were specifically more important than anything else and that’s why we wanted to bring them back to SMSC lands,” said Milda.
The pte, or bison, arrived on the reservation in November. It was a process a workgroup of some two dozen members spent more than two years figuring out how to bring them back in a “sustainable, safe and ecologically beneficial way”.
“Our main goal was to get them here and to just learn from them at first for the members,” said Milda.
Indigenous people relied on pte for food, medicine and materials. Colonization would nearly wipe out the shaggy creature that is the largest mammal in North America.
Ten of them now roam free near the junction of County Road 83 and Eagle Creek Boulevard in Shakopee. They’re behind an enclosure, left to graze native plants and help restore the prairie.
“And so that whole ecosystem becomes much better in the long run,” said Milda, who says their culture is a story also rooted in resiliency — for both man and beast.
“I get emotional,” said Milda. “How amazing they are, to make it this long, and for us to make it this long.”
The pte were gifted from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe in South Dakota. Eventually Milda says some will be traditionally harvested, others will be bred.
The tribe is considering building a viewing tower for the public, but there are other places you can see bison across Minnesota, including Spring Lake Park Reserve in Dakota County and Blue Mounds and Minneopa State Parks.
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MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
