Fort SnellingMain MenuDakota History 1862-1863: The US-Dakota War, and the Innocent ImprisonedEducation + InterpretationInteractive MapCamp CensusBibliographyAll Sources used for the creation of this site.Genevieve Romain2780a176af9b081b887fccf1a2c9d8f66cc710a8Dustin Sjong7d8b720b8272f145f79d27a161206c480703e582Matthew D. Frater61f08a66ba71d0a84fb2368cda74dc64d2daa275Sarah Forschlerf112b97c780ede601526729005e344121cd2da0cAaron J. Person7682fe26670fdd393b11095bed5c9c2f5813574f
Educational Tour
12015-12-13T10:11:42-08:00Matthew D. Frater61f08a66ba71d0a84fb2368cda74dc64d2daa27571891plain2015-12-13T10:11:42-08:00Matthew D. Frater61f08a66ba71d0a84fb2368cda74dc64d2daa275
Currently managed by the Minnesota Historical Society, Fort Snelling is interpreted as it would have appeared in the 1820s. The Historical Society holds tours for families and school groups - thousands of people in all - every year from April through October.
For students visiting on field trips, the educational tour moves through eight stations at the site: the front gate, the schoolhouse, married quarters for women, the parade ground, commanding officers' quarters, the Indian Agency, the hospital, Dred Scott's quarters (the only non-1820s station), and the blacksmith shop.
There is currently no mention within the tour about how the land on which the site sits is sacred to the Dakota People, nor about the concentration camp that existed over the winter of 1862-1863. Many members of the Dakota Nation have spoken out against this interpretation, and have protested to have their history included in the interpretation of the fort.
This will change in 2020, as renovations to the site will expand it's interpretation to be more inclusive of Dakota history. This is an important step, but one that excludes generations of schoolchildren who have already been through its walls. As it exists today, there is only one section of the tour that references the Dakota and other indigenous groups: the Indian Agency, where the fur trade is discussed.