Lower Sioux Indian Community

Mailing Address

Minnesota

Casino(s)

Cultural History

A federally acknowledged Native American Indian Tribe, the Lower Sioux Indian Community is a sovereign community located in the south central portion of the Minnesota in Redwood County. Their location is almost two miles to the south of Morton. Their major community center is situated on the southern bluffs in the Minnesota River Valley. 

The tribe started their humble beginnings in Minnesota where "the water reflects the sky". The Lower Sioux Indian Community comes from the Dakota people who have long lived in the area thousands of years ago. The Minnesota Dakota were known by the French Term Sioux during the eighteenth century. It was also during that time when the Sioux was comprised by four other bands namely the Mdewakanton, the Wahpekute or the Lower Bands, the Sisseton and the Wahpeton or the Upper Bands. All these four lived together along the Minnesota River. The year 1862 marked history in the lives of these tribes when several youth members launched a war against the United States government because of the lack of compliance of the treaties that were signed. The unfulfilled obligations by the government led to the rage of anger by the youth. Some of the unfulfilled obligations were the lack of payment for the lands, the lack of health care and the lack of food. For two years, the tribe has managed to keep their peace until the broke out of rage of their young members. More than five hundred tribes men died while in the battle field yet the tribe gained many allies who were Indians and Non-Indians.

After the horrible loss from the war, the tribe was persecuted by the federal government by nullifying all the treaties signed along with them. This further weakened the situation of the tribe as their annuities were forfeited and they were not recognized by the government. All the treaties were considered void thus the tribe was formally removed from their land which is now called the State of Minnesota.

Despite the government's oppression, many tribal natives still chose to return to their homelands. Some of the tribal members also imposed loyalty to the United States government that led to the government’s permission to these few individuals to return to their lands in compliance with the formerly signed treaties. The government ceded most of the tribal lands but in the year 1863, the Congress authorized the Department of Interior to make allocations up to eighty acres of land to these few government loyalists thus many of the tribesmen were able to live most of their lives in their homeland.

There are currently almost 145 families living on the 1,743 acres of tribal land allocated by the government. Another 982 residents are settled around the 10-mile service area outside the reservation. The tribe is currently engaged in business enterprises such as the InvisiMED and the Dakotah-Prinzing Motor Coaches.

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