Learning from Place: Bdote

This is an immersive, place-based experience led by Dakota community members that visits sites of great significance in the Twin Cities adjacent to the Wakpá Taŋka (Mississippi River) to share Dakota history and the impacts of settler contact. Workshop attendees will get to travel beyond traditional conference borders with a 6 hour outdoor experience that will take place on Thursday, July 10th.

While the workshop will focus on the experience of Dakota Peoples in Minnesota, participants will gain insights relevant to the places they call home and Indigenous communities they neighbor. Participants can expect to come away with a new perspective on how to engage in place-based and culturally relevant science praxis with a fuller history of the Indigenous lands each of us inhabits, whether in Minnesota or elsewhere.

Learn more about this workshop at the Minnesota Humanities Center's website. 

Logistics

The Bdote trip is a 6-hour experience that would take place from 8:00 am-2:00 pm on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Bus transportation from the SABER hotel will depart at approximately 7:20 am and return to the hotel by approximately 2:45 pm at the latest. 

A boxed lunch will be provided. 

Pricing*

• The full cost of the trip is $160 per person, which covers all expenses. 

• If you can pay more than $160, your generosity will help cover the cost for someone else.

• If you can pay less than $160, the remaining amount will be covered by a sponsor.

Accessibility Notes

• This experience will take place outdoors.
• Depending on the weather, you will want to be prepared for rain and/or direct sun. 
• It is suggested to wear comfortable walking shoes. 
• The day includes approximately 1.5 miles of gentle hiking, primarily on flat terrain. Not all paths are paved or even.
• The website notes that individuals with limited mobility may have difficulty; it also suggests bringing a portable camping chair if you are not comfortable standing for a period of time (we might be able to provide one for you from a local attendee). 
• There are indoor or portable bathrooms at each site; we are not certain if they are handicap accessible (but we can find out!).
• If you have additional accessibility questions, please be in touch and we will do our best to find an answer. 

If you have additional questions, please email Dimitri Smirnoff (dimitris@umn.edu) and Nicki Chlebek (nchlebek@fiu.edu)

Register for this Workshop