The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe of Mdewakanton Dakota people, located southwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, within parts of the cities of Prior Lake and Shakopee in Scott County, Minnesota. Mdewakanton means "town of Sacred Lake," referring to what is now commonly called Mille Lacs Lake, named by French colonists.As of the 2010 census, 658 people lived on the trust land. The tribe owns and operates Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, and a number of other enterprises. While Scott County is largely rural, it is located within the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. This helps it draw from a large population to attract numerous customers for its enterprises.The SMSC presently owns approximately 2000acre of land, all of which are located within or near the original 250acre reservation established for the Tribe in the 1880s. Tribal lands are located in Prior Lake and Shakopee, Minnesota.
