"Under blue skies and calm winds, thousands of people from across the globe gathered this weekend to celebrate their Native American culture. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's annual Wacipi (Pow Wow) featured dancing, drumming, food and festivities on the Pow Wow grounds of the reservation.

Nestled back into the farmlands of the tribe’s rolling hills is the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Pow Wow Grounds, a designated area where such historical and spiritual events commence throughout the year.

It was the first time I had trekked out to the grounds, and one of only a handful of times I directly interacted with the Shakopee Mdwakaton Sioux tribe. I held an excitement, mixed with a bit of apprehension, concerning how I would mesh with a community I was embarrassed to know little about.

But, I remembered, this wasn't the first time I had been outside my own comfort zone. I have spent a good portion of four years living in a rural village in Kenya, where I was the sole Westerner and one of only a few that spoke English. That said, I have had my struggles of integrating into a new community, and I anticipated this would most likely be no different."

Get the Story:
Kathryn Nelson: Wacipi Brings Together Community And Cultures (The Shakopee Patch 8/22)