A Place with Potential Pike Island

Introduction An important placePike Island Pike Island is located within Fort Snelling State Park in St. Paul, Minnesota Known as the Bdote area for the Dakota people At the meeting of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers

Past History Picture of Pike Island’s Explanation of the Treaty of 1805 Controversial area As part of the Bdote, “Wita Tanka” is a sacred place for the Dakota people. US acquired the land in 1805 Site of internment for the Dakota people during the Dakota War of 1862

Present A recreational area One of the many trails on Pike Island Part of Fort Snelling State Park Full of walking and skiing trails A popular “get-away” for people in the city Floods every spring – there are currently no permanent structures on Pike Island No current relationship with the Dakota people

Potential for the place Potential for Inclusivity Potential for Sustainability Sacred place for the Dakota people Bdote and Wita Tanka Improve relationships with the Dakota people Symbolically important Meeting of two rivers Observational science Close to other science outlets such as the U of M and Science Museum

Pike Island Located near Fort Snelling Historical Site, within Fort Snelling State Park, and along the meeting of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers.

Our Project Field Station Pike Island from the mainland We propose the building of a field station that will bring together western-based science and the native knowledge of our environment Partners from both sides of science working together to make the river healthier Programs centered out of our field station Multiple motivations within sustainability and inclusivity

Our Project We would consider building our field station in a location like this for several reasons: -already cleared -decent distance from the river -proximity to power lines

Location We would plan on putting the Field Station more in the middle of the island as to reduce our impact on the rivers nearby. As said before, there are already cleared areas that would be perfect for this project.

The Field Station Floating field station to deal with flooding Resources to study vegetation, wildlife, and water quality. Transparent ceiling in one room for astronomy. Educational room or visitor center reinvents-houseboat-design/?ref=search

How our program addresses inclusivity Alaskan Native Knowledge Network Educational opportunities – field trips encouraging kids to get involved in science, nature, history, etc. Volunteering and Internship Use of social networking Going out into the community to get people involved in the river Inclusive of all of the science communities in our region- NPS, universities, NCED, high schools, etc. nrichment.htm

How our program addresses sustainability Actual station built out of environmentally-friendly materials Meets the overall goal of working towards a sustainable river Educate students to continue advocating for sustainability in the future

Pike Island In a land where, historically, western-based society has “taken” from the Dakota people, we can start to establish a truly “give-and-take” relationship through science. In a society where history is often blurred and people may not be fully aware, we can help our community see the importance of inclusivity all while getting people involved in our natural environment. In a place where two rivers come together, we can bring together two different communities to work together for a greater goal.