What is the name of the Shakopee Tribe?
The official name is the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community but the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community is also acceptable. For a second reference the SMSC, the Community, or the Shakopee Tribe can be used. The SMSC is not a band, so it is inaccurate in modern context to refer to it as one. (That term is generally used in Minnesota to refer to Ojibwe or Chippewa tribes.) Since there are several Mdewakanton communities in Minnesota, it is essential in referring to the SMSC to distinguish which community by using the word “Shakopee” and not use simply Mdewakanton Community or Tribe.
