The WTS Minnesota Land Acknowledgement Subcommittee would like to invite WTS Members to participate in the Learning from Place: Bdote Workshop on September 15th offered by the Minnesota Humanities Center. Bdote is a Dakota word that generally means "where two waters come together."
"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." - Minnesota Humanities Center
This all-day workshop, led by Ramona Kitto Stately and Ethan Neerdaels, is sponsored by WTS-Minnesota in partnership with the APA and ASCE Minnesota Chapters. As one of the first events outlined in our Land Acknowledgement Action Plan, we are excited about this event as the first of a planned series!
Program Agenda & Details
- Date: Friday, September 15, 2023
- Co-Leads: Ramona Kitto Stately and Ethan Neerdaels
- Site Coordinator: Sherry Kempf
- Schedule Summary:
- 8:15 - Check in at Indian Mounds Regional Park (intersection of Mounds Blvd and Earl St)
- 8:30 - Program begins
- 10:00 - Drive to Fort Snelling State Park and continue program
- 12:15 - Lunch break and Drive to Oheyawahe/Pilot Knob Preservation Site and continue program
- 2:30 - Program ends
- There will be approximately 1.5 miles of walking in total spread throughout the day.
More detailed schedule, addresses, and logistics will be emailed in advance to registrants.
Participation Expectations
- Participants obtain required annual or day permit in advance of the program to enter Fort Snelling State Park.
- Participants attend the entirety of the experience.
- Participants provide their own transportation.
- Participants bring their own lunch, snacks, and water.
- Participants bring headphones for tour guide audio receiver.
- Participants dress appropriately for the weather, rain or shine.
- Participants wear comfortable walking shoes and are prepared for unpaved trails. Individuals with limited mobility may have some difficulty.
Outcomes
- A deeper understanding about Dakota people's relationship to Minnesota.
- A better understanding of the negative impact exclusion from the state's history and narrative have on Dakota individuals and communities.
- Increased awareness of one's own conscious and unconscious biases.
- Tools and resources to better engage their community with fuller understanding of historical context.
Click here to learn more about the workshop and FAQs!
Registration
Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. At this point, we are offering this program to those who are members of Tribal Nations, identify as members of an Indigenous Community, WTS-MN Members and Public Agency Partners* only. This is a joint event co-hosted with APA-MN and ASCE-MN.
Registration fees:
Member of a Tribal Nation or Self-Identify as an Indigenous Community Member: $0
WTS Member/Public Agency Partner*: $75.00
This event has limited spaces and due to this, we want to ensure all spaces are utilized. If you register and cannot make it, please contact us via email as soon as possible so we can fill your spot. If capacity is already reached during registration, please email [email protected] and/or [email protected] to join the waitlist.
*The WTS Public Agency Partner program is designed to encourage public agency employee participation at WTS events. MnDOT, Metro Transit/Met Council, and Washington County are the current WTS Minnesota public agency partners, and their employees are welcome to register for WTS Minnesota events for the same cost as general members.