Dayton's Bluff in Saint Paul in Ramsey County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi

A Sacred Place

Photographed by McGhiever, June 13, 2026

1. Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Daḳota ekta, tohaŋn wic̣oni iwouŋhdakap c̣a hokṡiyuhab, wic̣ot'a, mni, ina maḳa k'a maḣpiya iwouŋhdakap cée.

The elements of life converge here: birth, death, water, earth, and sky.

Maḳa Paha
(Burial Mounds)

Imniża Ska
(White Cliffs)

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Cave

Wakpa Táŋka
(Mississippi River)

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi oyaŋke kiŋ he Daḳota Ṭamaḳoc̣e ed yaŋke. Waŋna de ṭehaŋn Daḳota oyate ded mniciyapi héc̣ed wac̣ekiyapi k'a nakuŋ wótakuye wic̣aḣapi. Waŋna de ṭehaŋn oyaŋke kiŋ ded Oc̣eṭi Ṡakowiŋ, Hóṭaŋka, Iyowa, Ḣaḣatuŋwaŋ, k'a Ikce Oyate umag hena mniciyapi.

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi lies at the heart of Daḳota Homeland. For centuries, Daḳota people have gathered here to hold ceremonies and bury their relatives. This also has long been a meeting place for the Oceti Ṡakowiŋ, Hocąk, Ioway, Ojibwe, and other Native Nations.

Daḳota ekta Waḳaŋ Ṭípi oyaŋkeg de waḳaŋuŋdapi k'a nakuŋ hinaḣ ded c̣aŋtewaṡteya mniuŋkiciyapi.

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi remains a Daḳota site and a beloved gathering place.

Maḳuŋc̣aġe iyohi ehaŋna Daḳota wakpa kahdaya ṭípi kiŋ hena Waḳaŋ Ṭípi ed kawitaya mniciyapi.

Daḳota people from villages along the river came together seasonally at Waḳaŋ Ṭípi.

The river has crested. It runs as it ran ten thousand years past

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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 44° 57.14′ N, 93° 4.447′ W. Marker is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in Ramsey County. It is in Dayton's Bluff. It is at the intersection of Commercial Street and 4th Street E. on Commercial Street. The marker is next to the Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 590 4th Street E, Saint Paul MN 55106, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Maḳoc̣e Ṭueŋḣiŋdapi (here, next to this marker); Wic̣oḣ'aŋ

Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Marker (right) in front of the Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by McGhiever, June 13, 2026

2. Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Marker (right) in front of the Waḳaŋ Ṭípi Center

(a few steps from this marker); Preserving history on the land (within shouting distance of this marker); Nature and history in the Phalen Creek valley (within shouting distance of this marker); Remnants of a Former Rail Yard (approx. 0.2 miles away); Northern Pacific Railway Warehouse (approx. half a mile away); Marty Scott (approx. half a mile away); Terry L. Wetzel (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Saint Paul.

Other markers no longer nearby. A time of environmental and cultural change (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Dakota life along Wakpa Tanka (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on August 21, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2. submitted on August 2, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.