Wakan Tipi now off limits for St. Paul treasure hunt after medallion found near sacred cave
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Leaders of Wakan Tipi in St. Paul say they are "disappointed" the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt medallion was discovered near a sacred Dakota site, but are grateful for the work being done to better respect the area.
The medallion was found Saturday near a sacred cave at the far east end of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.
Maggie Lorenz is the executive director of Wakan Tipi.
"While we were disappointed that a local treasure hunt sent dozens of people to this sacred site to search for a medallion, we also know that as long as the site remains designated as a public park, people in the community will continue to treat it as such," Lorenz said. "The same can be said for Indian Mounds Regional Park."
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Lorenz says the nonprofit is "heartened" that the newspaper has added Wakan Tipi and the nature sanctuary to its off-limits list for future years.
"We are also grateful for the strong support and commitments from our partners at the City of Saint Paul to continue working towards more appropriate site management practices, redesignation of the site to reflect the deep cultural significance here and restoring the space to its original name - Wakáŋ Tipi, the dwelling place of the sacred," Lorenz said.
Formerly known as the Lower Phalen Creek Project, Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi is working to restore the 27-acre area along the Mississippi River. For decades, it was an unofficial city dumping site and a common target for vandalism.
Construction on the Wakan Tipi Center is expected to begin in the spring after several years of consultation with Dakota tribes in Minnesota. It will be located at the entrance of the sanctuary.
"We are hopeful that with the opening of the center and additional interpretive elements added throughout the site, the way that people engage at the site will begin to change. Wóohoda wakáŋ makoče - respect this sacred place," Lorenz said.
In 1987, the medallion was also found just east of the sanctuary at Indian Mounds Regional Park, according to a cultural landscape survey from 2019. The park is a sacred burial place with significance to Dakota, Iowa and Ho-Chunk tribes.
NOTE: Featured video is from Nov. 23, 2022.
