Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan

HISTORY

1600-1700 For hundreds of years, the Mdewakanton Dakota people made this area their home. The precise date of their arrival is unclear, but it is estimated to be in the early 17th century, likely around the 1600s. They lived off the land by hunting large game animals, fishing from the Minnesota River, and harvesting wild rice and other crops. Many burial mounds and other types of earth work were created during this ‘Woodland Tradition’ time period (1630-1700). The Minnesota River Valley is home to the highest concentration of historic earthworks in the state of Minnesota. Today, some historic burial mounds are still visible, especially in present day Memorial Park. There is evidence of other mounds that have not been properly preserved and were disturbed by post-contact development. The first contact between the Dakota people and non-Native Americans occurred in the mid 1600s. By 1700, European settlers began to move into the area and marked a shift in the region known as the Contact Period.

With its location within the Lower Minnesota River Valley, the City of Shakopee and the surrounding regions have served as a home for humans for thousands of years. The history of Shakopee is intimately tied to the history of the Dakota people. Before it was officially incorporated as a city on May 23, 1857, and before it became a trading post and a small river town, this area along the banks of the Minnesota River was home to the Mdewakanton Dakota and their village Tinta Otonwe. There is evidence that humans may have inhabited the Midwest Region as far back as 8,000-12,000 years ago. Known as the Paleo-Indian Tradition, traces of this period can be found in occasional spearheads discovered in the area. Furthermore, some of the extant burial mounds found in the region are believed to be between 500 and 2,000 years old.

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