Land Acknowledgement

Honoring the important stories and lived experiences of our members and neighbors

Valley Community Presbyterian Church sits on the ancestral and contemporary land of the Dakota people, for whom the land holds historical, spiritual, political, and cultural significance.
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VCPC Land Acknowledgement Logo

We are thrilled to present the VCPC Land Acknowledgement Logo designed by artist Wóokiye wiŋ!

Wóokiye wiŋ is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakhóta. She has received a Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies with a Language Track from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She has taught pre-school and high school in Saint Paul, MN as a Dakota Language instructor. Her mentor for the Dakota language was the respected elder Caroline Schommer of Upper Sioux Community.
 

Currently Wóokiye wiŋ is a teacher and free-lance artist making jewelry, handcrafted dyes and pigments, illustrating books and Dakota language curriculum. Her current hide painted earrings are featured at Indigenous First gallery in Duluth, MN. She is a 2023 poetry contest winner for Public Art Saint Paul Sidewalk Poetry. She uses both her Dakota and Ojibway background to influence her designs in her art. Much of her young life was spent on her mother’s reservation, Fond du Lac Reservation in northern Minnesota, before her family moved to her father's Reservation at Upper Sioux Community in southwest Minnesota.

Wóokiye wiŋ lives in Saint Paul with her husband and children. Both her parents are artists, and she continues the artist tradition of her family. You may find her work online at www.wookiyewin.com. You may purchase original art from instagram @wookiye_win. Her books are sold at www.dakhota.org

Oral History Project

Honoring Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ

In the Dakota language, Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ is the name for Bassett Creek.

American Indian people have lived, worked, and played in areas surrounding the creek for thousands of years.

In 2021, Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) received a grant to conduct oral history interviews with American Indians who are connected to the creek’s watershed. The interviews explored how Native people experience the area as part of their historic and contemporary cultures.

VCPC developed the project in partnership with cultural advisors, Hennepin History Museum, and Dr. Kasey Keeler, a scholar of American Indian history from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Read the Press Release

Watch the Oral History Project

Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ Community Celebration: Learn more about our work on the oral history project and why it matters.

In the News: Rethinking History

CCX Media covers Valley Community Presbyterian Church's Land Acknowledgement event and the Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ Oral History Project.

New Podast Series!

We are excited to announce a new development in the Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ / Bassett Creek Oral History Project! In fall 2023, Hennepin History Museum (HHM) developed a podcast series dedicated to the 15 Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ interviews. For the first episode, please enjoy this conversation where Dr. Kasey Keeler gives an overview of the project.

Some examples of the interviews include Diane Wilson, renowned Dakota author and educator, and Bradley Blackhawk, who grew up in Crystal and canoed on Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ in the 1970s. As the episodes roll out, you can access them on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We are so grateful to Hennepin History Museum for committing to this podcast project. Our hope is that this format will make the interviews more accessible to listeners, both in Minnesota and around the country and the world!

Listen to the Podcast
Dr. Kasey KeelerDr. Kasey Keeler
Dr. Kasey Keeler

How to Pronounce Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ

These waterways originally connected just north of Owámniyomni, or St. Anthony Falls, in Minneapolis. Using Dakota place names helps to honor the people who have lived here for thousands of years. In this video, several Dakota speakers teach us how to pronounce the creek’s Dakota name.
 
Special thank you to Šišóka Duta, Jim Rock, and students from Bdote Learning Center. Support for this video was provided by Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the City of Golden Valley's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Hennepin History Museum, and the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission. 

The video was produced by Tiana LaPointe with project management by Crystal Boyd. It represents one of several ways that the VCPC Land Acknowledgement Task Force is moving beyond its land acknowledgement statement.

Upcoming Land Acknowledgement Events

Full Statement

Opening hearts, opening minds, and opening lives to God

As a faith congregation , Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) seeks to honor the important stories and lived experiences of its members and neighbors.

VCPC sits on the ancestral and contemporary land of the Dakota people, for whom the land holds historical, spiritual, political, and cultural significance.

We acknowledge the ongoing injustices that we have committed against the Dakota people and pledge to interrupt this legacy. We will educate ourselves about Indigenous history and recognize, support, and advocate for our Native neighbors.

Read Our Action Steps
Photo Album

More Information and Resources

New Podcast!

In fall 2023, Hennepin History Museum (HHM) developed a podcast series dedicated to the 15 Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ interviews.

Learn More

How to Pronounce Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ

The video was produced by Tiana LaPointe with project management by Crystal Boyd.

Learn More

In the News: Rethinking History

CCX Media covers Valley Community Presbyterian Church's Land Acknowledgement event and the Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ Oral History Project.

Learn More