Optional conference workshops

Click here to sign up for a workshop.

Indigenous Movement Experiential Workshop

Anthony Thosh Collins (O’odham/Haudenosaunee/Osage) and Chelsey Luger (Anishinaabe/Lakota), Wellness Trainers, Well for Culture, Phoenix, AZ
Time: September 15, 9 a.m.-noon
Location: Mystic Lake Center
Cost $75 per person

Movement is medicine which impacts not only our physical health but also our mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Everyone can find some type of movement to connect with and incorporate into their daily home and work life, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing, nor does it require fancy equipment. The Well for Culture approach to movement is based on Indigenous values of inclusivity and gratitude. In this workshop, participants will learn gentle, accessible movements from breathing and stretching all the way to dynamic warm-ups and the basics of functional training. Dress comfortably and be ready to move, but don’t be intimidated – this movement practice is a welcoming approach which will be inclusive of all ages and abilities, even those who prefer to stay seated.  Click here to register for this workshop.

Foraging for Native Edible Plants

Nutritious, wild plants live all around us. Indigenous wisdom encourages consumption of native plants for their nutritious and spiritual properties. Join elder Hope Flanagan for a walk along the Minnesota River or ethnobotanist Linda Black Elk for a walk around Louisville Swamp to see how they live in this changing environment. You’ll discover wild edible plants and, if possible, pick and taste them. The leaders will describe the unique and diverse nutritional, medicinal and spiritual properties of various plants, how they are used in Indigenous cultures, and ways to interact with them. This knowledge is useful not only for understanding Indigenous ways and wisdom, but also understanding and protecting the natural world and environment.

Come prepared for the weather, with warm clothes and shoes that can get muddy, and bring insect repellent. This workshop will require the ability to walk for two hours through nature. If the weather makes it impossible to walk outside, we will instead have a discussion at Mystic Lake Center.

Foraging for Native Edible Plants 1: River Walk

Hope Flanagan (Seneca), Wild Foods Educator, Dream of Wild Health, Minneapolis, MN
Time: September 15, 9 a.m.-noon including travel time (the workshop will begin at 9:15 a.m.)
Location: The Landing, 2187 Highway 101E, Shakopee, MN 55379
Transportation: Attendees must provide their own transportation. The Landing is about a 15-minute drive from Mystic Lake Center.
Cost: $75 per person
Max #: 20
Click here to register for this workshop.

Foraging for Native Edible Plants 2: Marsh Walk

Linda Black Elk (Catawba Nation), Ethnobotanist, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Onamia, MN
Time: September 15, 1-4 p.m. including travel time (the workshop will begin at 1:15 p.m.
Location: Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, Louisville Swamp Unit, 3801 145th St. W, Shakopee 55379
Transportation: Attendees must provide their own transportation. The refuge is about a 15-minute drive from Mystic Lake Center.
Cost: $75 per person
Max #: 40
Click here to register for this workshop.

Preparing Healthy Traditional Food with Sean Sherman of The Sioux Chef

Chef Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota), Founder, The Sioux Chef, Minneapolis, MN
Time: September 15, 10 a.m.-noon or 2-4 p.m.; September 18, 2-4 p.m.
Location: Mazopiya Market, 2571 Credit Union Drive, Prior Lake, MN 55372 (free transportation from Mystic Lake Center will be available)
Cost: $75 per person
Max #: 17

Chef Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota), an internationally renowned Indigenous foods chef, will discuss Native American food systems, including regional differences, farming practices, food preservation, usage of salt, wild game, foraging and identification of plants, cooking techniques, ingredient sourcing, and access to recipes. He will also discuss the foundations of an Indigenous diet and applications in modern kitchens. The workshop will include a cooking demonstration with samples for participants.

Chef Sean’s main focus has been on the revitalization and evolution of Indigenous food systems throughout North America. In 2014, he opened The Sioux Chef as a caterer and food educator in the Twin Cities. In 2017, Sean and his team prepared the first decolonized dinner at the James Beard House in Manhattan. His first book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, received a James Beard award for best American cookbook in 2018. Chef Sean was selected as a 2018 Bush Fellow and received a James Beard Leadership Award in 2019. Click here to register for this workshop.

Native Gardens and Culture: High tunnels at Wozupi Tribal Gardens and Guided Tour of Hoċokata Ti

Time: September 15, 1-4 p.m.
Location: Wozupi Tribal Gardens, 2041 140th St. NW, Prior Lake (transportation provided from Mystic Lake Center)
Cost: $75 per person
Max #: 30

Visit the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Wozupi Tribal Gardens and participate in a hands-on demonstration about the process of planning, installing and managing a high tunnel to extend the growing season in the spring, fall and even the winter in this area. Wozupi staff will share their experiences with making the most out of this unique agricultural structure in providing good food nearly year-round. Participants will also tour the Wozupi, which produces a variety of foods from maple syrup, vegetables, fruits and native edible plants.

Participants will also have the opportunity for a guided tour of the public exhibit at Hoċokata Ti [ho-cho-kah-tah-tee], the tribe’s new cultural center which opens in summer 2019. The exhibit, called Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake, provides visitors with a cultural experience that enhances their knowledge and understanding of the Mdewakanton Dakota people and their history. An assortment of Dakota Sioux artifacts can be viewed in the public gallery. Click here to register for this workshop.

The Seven Circles of Wellness — A New Model for Holistic Wellness, Ancestral Health, and Living a Balanced Life.

Anthony Thosh Collins (O’odham/Haudenosaunee/Osage) and Chelsey Luger (Anishinaabe/Lakota), Wellness Trainers, Well for Culture, Phoenix, AZ
Time: September 15, 1-5 p.m.
Location: Mystic Lake Center
Cost: $75 per person

Well for Culture is a grassroots movement focused on holistic wellness from an Indigenous perspective. It utilizes concepts from ancestral Indigenous teachings and other schools of thought to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles for Indigenous communities and others who might benefit from an integrative, “Indigenized” approach. The Seven Circles of Wellness is the Well for Culture model for total health optimization. Through this dynamic, interactive workshop including original visual elements and discussion as well as movement breaks and stress-relief techniques, the participant will learn the philosophy behind and practical application of each circle of wellness: Real Food, Sleep, Movement, Peacefulness, Kinship/Community, Connection to Earth and Sleep. Each circle of wellness is interconnected and impacts physical-mental-emotional-spiritual health. Participants will be invited to utilize this model in their own work and personal life. Click here to register for this workshop.