Land Back: Upper Sioux (Yellow Medicine) Community TSR Project

On Friday, March 15, 2024, the official transfer of land of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux (Yellow Medicine) Community formally celebrates this historic and long overdue process.

Dakota Elder and Yellow Medicine member Ellita Gouge, speaks of the historical and cultural importance of the Upper Sioux State Park to their community. Tribal Chairman Kevin Jensvold of the Upper Sioux community, had made numerous requests at every subsequent government-to-government meeting for 20 years.

The condition of the Park, and her support of the Tribe’s request, the DNR began efforts to transfer the land, and it was discovered that there were federal encumbrances.
This sparked the HF 2310 – Environment and Energy omnibus, which became law on May 23, 2023, and included the policy provision and appropriation of $5M to begin the transfer of land from the state of Minnesota containing Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community.