Pike Island
A Place with Potential
Introduction
An important place
 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
Pike Island
Past
History
 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
Picture of Pike Island’s
Explanation of the Treaty of 1805
Present
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A recreational area
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
One of the many trails on
Pike Island
Potential for the place
Potential for Inclusivity
 Sacred place for the Dakota
people
 Bdote and Wita Tanka
 Improve relationships with
the Dakota people
 Symbolically important
Potential for Sustainability
 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
 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
Pike Island from the mainland
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
http://dornob.com/prefabricated-floating-homereinvents-houseboat-design/?ref=search
How our program addresses inclusivity
 Alaskan Native Knowledge
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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 regionNPS, universities, NCED, high
schools, etc.
http://www.nps.gov/miss/supportyourpark/vol_e
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
http://dornob.com/prefabricated-floating-home-reinvents-houseboat-design/?ref=search
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.