Wakan Tipi Site Restoration: Renewing History, Healing Land

Project Overview

BKBM Engineers partnered with Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, Full Circle Indigenous Planning, and Cuningham Architects to restore Wakan Tipi, a sacred Dakota heritage site in Saint Paul’s Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. The project created a meaningful, community-focused space by overcoming complex environmental and regulatory challenges, honoring indigenous cultural values, and enhancing the surrounding ecosystem.

Project Highlights

  • Culturally-Inspired Community Spaces:
    • The new Wakan Tipi Center reconnects the Dakota people with sacred land and serves as a vibrant hub for cultural education, healing, community events, and inspiration.
    • Key features include an exhibit hall, teaching kitchen, and ceremonial spaces, all thoughtfully designed to reinforce the site’s cultural and communal significance.
  • Environmental & Regulatory Challenges:
    • Site remediation addressed contaminated soils and remnants of previous industrial activity.
    • Zoning regulations, floodplain restrictions, and ongoing bridge construction presented unique constraints.
    • Limited historical records and aging infrastructure required adaptive design and close coordination.
  • Collaborative, Innovative Solutions:
    • BKBM worked closely with the City of Saint Paul, environmental experts, and tribal and community stakeholders to ensure environmentally sound and culturally sensitive solutions.
    • Transitioned stormwater management from a filtration basin to a more efficient infiltration system, yielding time and cost savings.
    • Designed and constructed an infiltration pond meeting B3 Sustainability Guidelines to reduce nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River and support the sanctuary’s ecological goals.

Engineering Solutions

BKBM provided resilient, sustainable civil engineering and site design—addressing both technical and cultural imperatives. A collaborative approach with stakeholders, regulators, and planners ensured regulatory compliance and alignment with indigenous values throughout the project.

Results & Impact

The restored Wakan Tipi Center now stands as a living testament to Dakota heritage and a model for community-driven ecological restoration. BKBM’s engineering expertise helped overcome environmental, regulatory, and historical site challenges—creating a lasting resource for cultural education, healing, and connection to land and tradition in Saint Paul.