Indigenous peoples' carving. After 161 years, the Upper Sioux Community finally got their stolen land back from the government - their reaction will move you to tears.

161-Year-Old Minnesota Wrong Finally Made Right For Sioux Tribe

After 161 years, the Upper Sioux Community finally got their stolen land back from the government – and their reaction will move you to tears. 😢 #Minnesota #HealingHistory #NativePride

Granite Falls, Minnesota – After over a century and a half, the Upper Sioux Community in southwest Minnesota has finally reclaimed a precious piece of their ancestral land. In an emotional ceremony, the state of Minnesota officially returned the nearly two square miles that once comprised Upper Sioux Agency State Park.

For the tribe’s secretary Elitta Gouge, this moment was the culmination of a 20-year dream. She had long felt outraged that tribal members had to pay fees to visit the burial and prayer sites of their ancestors within the state park boundaries. To her, this land was a place of memories and spirits, to be treated with the utmost reverence – not merely a recreational area.

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Correcting Historical Injustices

The return of this land rights a historical wrong dating back to the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. That fateful year, the U.S. government withheld treaty-guaranteed annuities, leading to widespread starvation among the Dakota people. The ensuing conflict resulted in the largest mass execution in U.S. history, the internment of Dakota families, and the exile of the Dakota from Minnesota.

While those in attendance acknowledged that they weren’t alive to participate in those past injustices, they recognized the importance of taking action now to make things right. As tribal chairman Kevin Jensvold reflected, his ancestors simply wanted to live as Dakota people in their homeland, caring for the land and one another.

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A Joyful Celebration 

The mood was celebratory as hundreds gathered to witness Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and other officials sign the documents officially returning the land to the tribe. There was even a lighthearted moment as Elitta Gouge joked that she had told Lt. Gov. Flanagan a few years prior that the Minnesota Vikings wouldn’t win a Super Bowl until the state returned the park to the tribe.

Gov. Walz, a former history teacher, noted the significance of the moment. While one of his predecessors, Henry Sibley, had fought against the Dakota over 150 years ago, Walz was here to do the opposite by returning the land to its original caretakers. 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also acknowledged that the recreational use of this site had come at the expense of the Dakota people. Returning the land, along with the remaining park buildings, was simply the right thing to do.

Looking to the Future

For Chairman Jensvold and the Upper Sioux Community, the return of this land represents a new beginning. As they work to demolish the dilapidated park buildings, they can begin to envision how to use this sacred space to honor their ancestors and pass on their Dakota heritage to future generations.

The transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park marks a significant step forward in the long journey toward healing historical wounds and building a more just future for all. It’s a powerful reminder that while we cannot change the past, we can take action in the present to create a better tomorrow.

🗣 Are you as excited for the Upper Sioux Community as we are? We’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below. ⬇️

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