The land called Pejuhutazizi Kapi (the place where they dig for yellow medicine) has been home to the Dakota Oyate (Nation) for thousands of years. The Dakota have always occupied the area bordering the Minnesota River Valley except for in the late 1800s after the U.S.-Dakota War. At that time the Dakota were either exterminated, forcibly removed to reservations located elsewhere, or voluntarily fled to avoid harm.
Many Dakota died during those difficult years. Some of those who survived the forced removal defied the state and federal governments by not remaining on the assigned reservations located outside of Minnesota, but rather chose to return to their ancient homelands in the MN River Valley. In 1938, 746 acres of original Dakota lands in MN were returned to the people and the Upper Sioux Indian Community came into existence.
