thumb|right|300px|Location of Lower Sioux Indian Community in Redwood County
The Lower Sioux Indian Community, (Dakota: Caŋṡa'yapi; ) also known as the Mdewakanton Tribal Reservation, is an Indian reservation located along the southern bank of the Minnesota River in Paxton and Sherman townships in Redwood County, Minnesota. Its administrative headquarters is two miles south of Morton. The reservation is located southeast of Redwood Falls, the county seat.
The area was established as part of a reservation for the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute bands of the Lower Sioux under the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851 with the federal government. It originally extended about along the Minnesota River and was wide. It was greatly reduced following the Dakota War of 1862 and various other actions. As of the 2020 census, this lower reservation had a population of 534,
Discussions between the BIA and the tribal Indians from the targeted area began in 1953 and continued throughout 1954. Though the Prairie Island and Lower Sioux communities drafted agreements for distribution of land to individual households and ownership, the Upper Sioux strongly opposed fee-simple title to communal tribal lands. On January 26, 1955 Senator Edward Thye introduced a bill (S704) to provide for termination of the tribes.
In addition to opposition by the Dakota, regional residents objected to termination, saying that county and state expenditures might increase for the areas then within reservations, and they expressed their opposition to the committee reviewing the bill. The Minnesota Governor's Commission on Human Rights also opposed the legislation, indicating that it would "not adequately protect the interests of the Indians...". The bill died in committee, never reaching the Senate floor.
Return of land lost in the Dakota War of 1862
In 2021, the Minnesota state legislature and Minnesota Historical Society returned half of the lands to the Lower Sioux Community that were located in the former Lower Sioux Agency and were taken by the federal government as punishment after the Dakota War of 1862. This was part of their historic homeland. The Minnesota Historical Society owned approximately 115 acres of land while the state government owned near 114 acres.
Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel was the first casino in the state of Minnesota. In addition to the gaming areas, Jackpot Junction features three bars, three restaurants, an amphitheater for live performances, and two grand ballrooms. Live music is played every weekend, usually country and occasionally rock. The casino is open 24-7 (twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week).
County Highway 2 runs through the reservation, connecting it to U.S. Route 71 and Minnesota State Highway 19 to the northwest.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the reservation has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2020, the population of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation was 534. The population density was . There were 154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the reservation was 79.6% Native American, 9.6% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.6% from other races, and 10.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 10.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
See also
- Upper Sioux Indian Reservation