Interpretation at Fort Snelling
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.
