Shakopee, Minnesota - After a Friday evening of perfect, cool weather enjoyed by dancers and spectators alike, heavy rains drove the SMSC Annual Wacipi (Pow Wow) indoors for the first time ever. Two dance sessions, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, were held in the Dakotah! Sport and Fitness ice arena. The Saturday afternoon session was cancelled. Each year, staff at DSF take out the sheet of ice in case the arena is needed in the event of inclement weather. This year, the precautions were not in vain, as more than 700 dancers and thousands of spectators gathered to celebrate Native American culture August 17-19, 2007.

During the Wacipi there were several special honorings. The SMSC was honored by former President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Cecelia Fire Thunder for the $500,000 donation to Cangleska, Inc. for violence prevention. Community member Carrissa Pickit was honored with new regalia from her family for graduating from school and continuing her education at college. PFC Leland Thompson, son of SMSC employee Laurie Manylightnings and Leon Thompson, who is recovering from injuries sustained while fighting in Iraq, was honored. (He is expected to return to active duty in the fall.) The family of Julia Black Hawk, who passed away as a result of the I-35 bridge collapse, had a memorial honor song. Julia's mother is a long-time SMSC employee.

Chairman of the Pow Wow Committee was SMSC Vice-Chairman Glynn Crooks. The two Masters of Ceremonies were Wallace Coffey (Comanche Indian Nation) and Danny Seaboy (Sisseton Wahpeton/White Earth Ojibwe). Arena Directors were Michael Roberts (Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribe) and Gabe Desrosiers (Northwest Angle Ojibwe Reserve).

Host drums were Wahpekute (Sisseton, South Dakota) and Mazakute (Santee, Nebraska). Invited Drums were Southern Boyz (Oklahoma); Black Bear Creek (Oklahoma); Sizzortail (Oklahoma); Whitefish Juniors (Saskatchewan); Bear Creek (Ontario); Blackfoot Confederacy (Montana); Northern Wind (Ontario); Pipestone (Wisconsin); Battle River (Minnesota); and Eastern Eagle (Nova Scotia).

On Thursday, August 16, 2007, the SMSC held a dance exhibition as a preview to the Pow Wow in the Rotunda at the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota.

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