ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 1, 2026) – After decades of community organizing and a multi-year campaign, Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Awanyankapi celebrated the grand opening Friday, May 29, of the Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Center on St. Paul’s East Side, a new intergenerational cultural and community space honoring the significance of Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Cave as a sacred site.
Formerly known as Lower Phalen Creek Project, Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Awanyankapi is a Dakota-led and Native-run nonprofit organization dedicated to the stewardship and protection of Waḳaƞ Ṭípi, a Dakota sacred site along the Mississippi River. Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Awaƞyaƞkapi in the Dakota language means “those who care for Waḳaƞ Ṭípi.”
The 7,500-square-foot, $14.3 million Waḳaƞ Ṭípi Center is intended to showcase the history, language and values of the Dakota Oyate with an exhibit hall, a community gathering area, teaching kitchen and teaching gardens…