Mahkato Wacipi returns for 53rd year next weekend

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - We are just one week away from the 53rd annual Mahkato Wacipi.

The event kicks off at Land of Memories Park next Friday with a School Learning Day and the event starting proper with the first grand entry at 7 p.m. Friday night.

The powwow aims to celebrate different peoples coming together and is a major educational tool for native American culture and traditions.

Organizers said that the scale of the event has increased exponentially since it started in the early 70s, and that its mission of uniting different cultures can be seen every day.

“Relations between the native American community and Mankato community have really gotten a lot better. Native people were scared to come to Mankato until this all started,“ organizer Dan Zielske said.

This year will be the fourth and final year of the Wacipi honoring Nytalia Ashes, a four-year old girl who was killed by a falling tree branch at the event in 2021.

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