On The River Bottoms

On The River Bottoms. Pathways of Shakopee History. , "The power of the Dakotas had always dwelt in the land, from the great forest to the open prairies. Long before the white man ever dreamed of our existence, the Dakota roamed this land." , , Waŋdbi Wakiya, The Dakota lived in Tíŋta Otuŋwe, their summer planting village, after returning from their winter hunt. Here, they cultivated corn, harvested wild rice, and made maple syrup., Wamnaheza (Corn): Along with hunting, growing wamnaheza (corn) was a part of the Dakota's way of life. Corn was planted during Wóżupi wi (The Planting Moon). The women planted wamnaheza in the low ground near the river, usually where there was a thrifty growth of wild paŋgi (artichokes)., Psiŋ (Rice): The marshlands and lake area on the north bank of the river were used for collecting psiŋ (rice). Psiŋ was harvested in canoes using wooden ricing sticks. Usually, two people would be in each boat, one guiding the boat through the rice bed, and one knocking rice grains into the canoe. Once the rice was harvested, the rice had to be dried. Then, the sheaths had to be removed to uncover the seeds., Caŋhasaŋ (Sugar Tree): While living in Tíŋta Otuŋwe, the Dakota made maple syrup (Caŋhaŋpi tiktica) at Caŋhasaŋ (now called Chanhassen) on the northwest side of the river. In the spring, women, children, and elderly moved into sugaring camps to make maple sugar and syrup. Conditions were prime when nighttime temperatures reached below freezing and the daytime temperatures were above freezing. In cold climates, trees store starch in their trunks and roots. When the weather warms, the starch converts to sugar which rises in the sap., Dakota Women , The Dakota women performed all aspects of gardening, including cultivating, planting, weeding, and harvesting., Early in the season, women, with the help of their children, cleared small plots of land for their gardens. Throughout the season, they watered, weeded, and watched over the growing plants. At harvest time, bark barrels were gathered for stockpiling corn which was often boiled and scraped from the cob. After the corn dried, it was placed in the barrels and buried in the ground for preservation.