Lower Sioux Indian Reservation
Lower Sioux Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the US state of Minnesota. It is also known as the Mdewakanton Tribal Reservation and is located on the south bank of the Minnesota River in Redwood County . The reserve administration is located in Morton, two kilometers away. The reserve was created in 1851 when the Treaty of Mendota was signed . According to a 2000 census, the reserve had a permanent population of 335 in an area of 7 km². The reserve is inhabited by Mdewakanton - Sioux Indians.
history
In 1851, the Sioux sold much of their territory to the United States with the signing of the Treaty of Mendota. In return, the United States pledged financial and material aid. The Sioux reserved a small part of the area for themselves. The reserve was created. The Bureau of Indian Affairs BIA then set up an agency on the reservation. But the supply of the reserve by the BIA was not sufficient and the BIA was weakened by incidents of corruption. And the project of turning non-sedentary hunters and gatherers into sedentary farmers failed. Especially after the reserve was reduced in size in 1858, the inhabitants went hungry. In 1862 the Sioux uprising broke out . The uprising was put down by the United States. About 1200 Indians surrendered and released their prisoners. The prisoners were taken to and interned in Niobrara Nebraska , Davenport Iowa, and Fort Thompson South Dakota . These included families and groups who had not participated in the uprising and were friendly to the United States. These friendly groups were later allowed to return to the area of today's reservation. The US Congress decided to dissolve the Indian reservations in Minnesota and to declare the treaties of 1851 invalid. During the negotiations on the dissolution of the reservation by the US Congress, the latter authorized the Home Office to distribute 80 acres to each member of these groups. A few more families from South Dakota joined them later. A 1936 census found that 20 Mdewakanton families, 18 families originally from Flandreau , South Dakota, and one family from Sisseton, South Dakota lived in the reservation area. Despite the efforts of the US Congress, the reservation was not officially dissolved.
The reservation was a target of the American government's termination policy between 1940 and 1960. On January 26, 1955, Senator Edward submitted the law (S704) to Congress. 4 Minnesota tribes should be disbanded. But there were not only protests from Indian groups against the law. Human rights groups also opposed the proposal. The law never came to a vote.
The Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel, the first casino in the state of Minnesota , has been on the reservation since 1996 . The organization of gambling started in 1984 with a bingo - Saloon . The historic Lower Sioux Agency is located on the reservation area. Today it is a recognized United States Historic Site and is operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. There is an information center and a rebuilt warehouse from 1861.
government
The reservation has its own government and is officially called The Community Council of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation . The government consists of 5 members, the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Asst. Secretary / Treasurer. According to SEC. 2A of the constitution, which is officially called the Constitution of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota , the first three positions are elected for four years, the two other positions for two years.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Tribes: Lower Sioux ( Memento of the original from May 10, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Info from the Indian Affairs Council on mn.gov
- ^ Constitution of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota As Amended Through September 19, 2007 (PDF).
Web links
- Lower Sioux Community Official Homepage (Engl.)
- Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel (Engl.)